Explainer: What is the Kerala Catholic school hijab row
What's the story
A private school in Kerala's Ernakulam district has declared a two-day holiday following protests by parents over the school's refusal to allow a Muslim student to wear a hijab. The incident took place at the CBSE-affiliated St. Rita's Public School in Palluruthy, which is run by the Latin Catholic Church. The dispute started when an eighth-grade student wore a hijab to school on October 7, after following the prescribed uniform for four months.
Dispute escalation
Dispute escalated after student wore hijab again
By wearing the hijab, the school management said the student was violating the prescribed dress code. Principal Sister Heleena said they asked her to comply "in a loving way," and she agreed. However, the situation escalated when the student returned wearing a hijab again on October 10. Sister Heleena explained that the student had no objections to the uniform until recently. She said on October 10, when the student came wearing an additional garment, her parents were called.
Policy explanation
What school said
"Her father came with a few others; they started shouting and started a live video. They spoke in abusive language while classes were in session," Sr. Heleena said. "We have a prescribed uniform in the school, and all should maintain that uniformity. We had informed students of this at the time of admission. The student had followed the school's dress code for four months. But one fine morning, she came flouting the uniform code."
Parents
Father's argument
On the other hand, the student's father, Aziz, claimed his daughter had not broken any rules and had been wearing a scarf for months without issues. "For the last four months, she went to school with a scarf. But she hadn't pinned it like a hijab. Her mother has gone to the school several times to discuss the rule. When I went to speak with the principal, the PTA president and others spoke to me very sternly," he said.
Legal intervention
School granted police protection
The school's Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) alleged that parents were backed by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), which also misbehaved with school authorities, mostly nuns, during this incident. The PTA declared a two-day holiday on October 13 and 14 after the clash. The Kerala High Court has since granted police protection to the school following a plea from its management.
Petition
Protest happened on October 10
According to the petition, on October 10, the student's guardians, accompanied by more than six others, forced their way into the school grounds and manhandled security staff. Another group of people gathered outside the school gates and began chanting slogans in protest. "The said mob activity occurred precisely when Pre-KG students were arriving at the school, resulting in panic and emotional distress among the small children...The entire incident disrupted the normal functioning of the institution," the petition stated.
Minister's statement
Education minister speaks on issue
Although the school principal approached the relevant police station to file a report against the alleged trespassers, the police allegedly provided no protection. This forced the school administration to petition the high court for intervention. Commenting on the issue, State Education Minister V Sivankutty reiterated the importance of maintaining uniformity in schools. He said, "The school will have a uniform, and all should follow that. Anything that hides the uniform will cause difficulties."