The ongoing hijab controversy at St Rita's Public School in Kochi's Palluruthy has reached a critical juncture, with the student's father announcing that his daughter will be transferred to another school due to severe mental distress caused by the dispute.​

Father Cites Mental Health Concerns

PM Anas, the student's father, confirmed on Friday that his Class 8 daughter is unwilling to continue at St Rita's after being denied permission to wear a hijab to class. "She doesn't want to continue her studies at the school anymore. The principal said my daughter wearing a hijab is creating fear among other students. That is affecting her severely," Anas told the media. He questioned the school's stance on secular clothing, asking, "The school authorities say secular clothing is allowed, isn't the shawl my daughter wore secular?"​

School Principal Thanks High Court and Minister

School principal Sister Helena Alby addressed the media on Friday morning, thanking the Kerala High Court for providing protection to the institution amid the controversy. She also expressed gratitude to Education Minister V Sivankutty, stating, "It's a fact that no school can function smoothly without the support of the education department". Sister Helena reiterated that the student is welcome to continue if she adheres to the school's uniform policy, adding, "We respect the court and the government. Let the law take its course".​

Education Minister Strongly Criticizes School Management

Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty sharply criticized the school authorities, questioning the irony of teachers wearing headscarves while preventing students from doing the same. "It is ironic that teachers who wear headscarves are insisting that students of the same institution cannot wear a headscarf," the minister stated. He emphasized that those responsible for forcing the child to leave the school would have to answer for their actions.​

Sivankutty had earlier directed the school to allow the student to wear a hijab based on a report by the Ernakulam Deputy Director of Education (DDE), which found serious lapses by the school management and cited violations of the Right to Education Act. The minister asserted that the school management and PTA should have resolved the issue through dialogue without compromising the uniform code, suggesting the school could permit a headscarf matching the uniform's color and design.​

Background of the Controversy

The dispute began on October 7 when the student, who had followed the prescribed uniform for months after admission, wore a hijab to school. The school management refused entry, citing its dress code policy. On October 10, tensions escalated when the student's father and others questioned the management, leading to a two-day school closure. The Kerala High Court subsequently granted police protection to the school after the management alleged threats and disturbances on campus.​

The school, a CBSE-affiliated institution run by the Latin Catholic Church, has defended its position by citing a 2018 Kerala High Court ruling in Fathima Thasneem v. State of Kerala, which upheld the right of private schools to decide their own uniform policies.​

Minister Addresses Palakkad Student Suicide

In a separate matter, Minister Sivankutty also addressed the recent suicide of a 14-year-old Class 9 student in Palakkad's Kannadi Higher Secondary School. The student, identified as Arjun, was found dead at his home on Tuesday evening after allegedly facing mental harassment from his class teacher over an Instagram chat incident.​

The minister ordered a detailed investigation by the Director of General Education, stating that the DDE's initial investigation report was not satisfactory.

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