Kerala Catholic school stops Muslim student from wearing hijab, probe launched

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The Kerala education department has launched a probe after a parent of a Class 8 student at St Rita’s Public School, Palluruthy, Ernakulam, filed a complaint with the Chief Minister. The father alleged that the school management did not allow his daughter, a Muslim student, to wear a hijab along with her uniform.

According to the complaint, when the girl refused to remove her hijab, she was allegedly barred from entering the classroom and made to stand outside.

“My daughter was admitted to Class 8 this academic year. For the past few days, the school had been insisting that Muslim students are not allowed to wear headscarves,” the girl’s father was quoted by Onmanorama as saying.

“Because of this, her class teacher made her stand outside the classroom for over an hour, called her arrogant, and ridiculed her in front of other students, causing her mental harassment. When my wife and I went to the school to meet the principal, we were told, ‘You can collect the Transfer Certificate and leave if you want’,” he added.

School management’s response

The school management, however, said that a headscarf is not part of the uniform and that this was clearly stated in the rules and regulations provided to parents in the student diary at admission. The management also alleged the girl’s parents brought outsiders, including some SDPI leaders, to the school and created a disturbance on Friday. Following the incident, the institution was closed for two days, till Tuesday.

“The rules were clearly mentioned in the diary, and the parents were aware of them. The girl’s father came to the school with many others and created a ruckus. I alerted the police because students, parents and teachers were worried as the group questioned and threatened us,” Sr Heleena Ancy, the school principal was quoted by Onmanorama as saying.

The management has also approached the High Court seeking police protection. In its petition, the school claimed that the girl “wilfully disregarded the prescribed uniform policy” and that the parent and his associates verbally abused teachers while encouraging other Muslim parents to allow their children to wear hijabs, allegedly with the aim of creating communal tension.

The school said the police did not register a case despite the complaint. Advocate Vimala Binu, representing the school, said the court passed an interim order directing police to protect the school and submit a report on the incident.

Investigation by the education department

A team led by the Ernakulam District Education Officer (DEO) visited the school on Monday and collected statements from the principal and staff.

Deputy Director of Education, Ernakulam, Subin Paul, said the department has instructed the school to allow the girl to wear the hijab in the classroom. “As per the law, she has the right to wear the hijab covering her head. The school’s claim that they will not permit it is not valid. We have asked them to allow it. If the management does not obey, we may have to cancel the No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued to the school,” he said.

The father stated that the issue had persisted since the start of the academic year, with his daughter being repeatedly forced to remove her hijab. He clarified that he was not asking for a burkha, only a headscarf, and stressed that his daughter’s fundamental rights were being denied.

The department is waiting for a detailed report from the DEO before taking further action. Meanwhile, the High Court has intervened to ensure the school functions smoothly and police protection is in place.