Hijab row in school: Parent agrees to comply with school’s dress code
The controversy surrounding St Rita’s Public School in Palluruthy, where a student was denied entry for wearing a hijab, has been resolved after the student’s family agreed to comply with the prescribed uniform. The understanding was reached following mediation efforts by political leaders on Tuesday, October 14.Ernakulam District Congress Committee president Muhammed Shiyas and MP Hibi Eden held discussions with the student’s family before meeting the school management. After the talks, Hibi Eden told the media that both sides had reached an amicable settlement.“The student’s father, Anas, has informed us that she will continue her studies here following the rules and regulations of the school. This is a great message of secularism for the society. Some people had tried to use the issue to create communal divisions,” Hibi Eden said.The development comes after days of tension at the CBSE-affiliated school run by the Latin Catholic Church in Kerala’s Ernakulam district. The dispute began when a Class 8 student arrived wearing a hijab on October 7, which the school said did not conform to its prescribed uniform. The issue escalated after her parents confronted the school authorities, prompting the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to declare a two-day holiday on October 13 and 14 to defuse tensions.The Kerala High Court had also granted police protection to the school on October 13, following a plea by the management citing safety concerns.The school’s principal Sr Heleena had earlier stated that the school’s dress code was made clear to the students at the time of admission and that the staff had asked the student to comply “in a loving way”. Meanwhile, the student’s father had claimed that his daughter’s attire was not disruptive and that he had only sought dialogue with the management.
THE controversy surrounding St Rita’s Public School in Palluruthy, where a student was denied entry for wearing a hijab, has been resolved after the student’s family agreed to comply with the prescribed uniform.
The understanding was reached following mediation efforts by political leaders on Tuesday, October 14.
Ernakulam District Congress Committee president Muhammed Shiyas and MP Hibi Eden held discussions with the student’s family before meeting the school management. After the talks, Hibi Eden told the media that both sides had reached an amicable settlement.
“The student’s father, Anas, has informed us that she will continue her studies here, following the rules and regulations of the school. This is a great message of secularism for society. Some people had tried to use the issue to create communal divisions,” Hibi Eden said.
The development comes after days of tension at the CBSE-affiliated school run by the Latin Catholic Church in Ernakulam district.
The dispute began when a Class 8 student arrived wearing a hijab on October 7, which the school said did not conform to its prescribed uniform. The issue escalated after her parents confronted the school authorities, prompting the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to declare a two-day holiday on October 13 and 14 to defuse tensions.
The Kerala High Court had also granted police protection to the school on October 13, following a plea by the management citing safety concerns.
The school’s principal Sr Heleena, had earlier stated that the school’s dress code was made clear to the students at the time of admission and that the staff had asked the student to comply “in a loving way”. Meanwhile, the student’s father had claimed that his daughter’s attire was not disruptive and that he had only sought dialogue with the management.
