Hijab row: St. Rita’s Public School resumes functioning, management rejects minister’s claims

St. Rita’s Public School at Palluruthy in Kerala’s Kochi, which had been closed following a row over a student’s insistence on wearing hijab, resumed functioning on Wednesday even as the school authorities rejected state General Education Minister V. Sivankutty’s remark that they had refused to allow her to attend classes with a headscarf.

Sr. Heleena Alby, principal of the school, told media persons on Wednesday that the minister had made the statement “without verifying the facts”. The school had never prevented the student from attending the classes even after the issue had emerged in the public domain, she said.

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Sivankutty on Tuesday said that a departmental probe into the row has found “serious faults” on the part of the school authorities. His social media post appeared on a day when a delegation of Congress leaders, including Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden and Tripunithura MLA K Babu, met the student’s family and convinced them to follow the dress code, pointing out that it may cause communal divide in society.

“The deputy director for education in Ernakulam has investigated the issue and reported that there has been serious dereliction of duty on the part of the school that prevented the student from attending classes for wearing a headscarf. This is a violation of the educational rights law. The report says it is a violation of the fundamental right of a citizen guaranteed by the Constitution,” Sivankutty said in the post.

“The school should permit the student to continue education wearing the headscarf, which is part of her religious belief. The school authorities can decide on the colour and design of the headscarf. The school principal and manager have been instructed to address the mental agony of the student and parents and submit a report by 11 am on Wednesday. No student should face such hardship in a state like Kerala which upholds secular values. No educational institution will be allowed to deny rights assured by the Constitution. The government will remain alert in such issues,” he added.

St. Rita’s Public School, run by the Latin Catholic Church, has declared a two-day holiday following a dispute over a student’s insistence on wearing a hijab. The CBSE-affiliated school announced that it would remain closed on Monday and Tuesday after a meeting of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) decided to suspend classes to ease tensions.

An eighth-grade student of the school had demanded to come to school wearing the hijab. However, the school management said that the hijab would not be allowed and that it was not part of the school uniform. According to sources, tension arose after the student’s parents insisted that their daughter be allowed to wear a hijab

Earlier on Tuesday, the Kerala High Court granted police protection to St. Rita’s Public School, following alleged threats and mob intrusion for not allowing a Muslim girl student to wear hijab with school uniform.Justice N Nagaresh passed the interim order.The writ petition was filed seeking immediate police protection for its management and staff.