Kerala hijab row: Student joins new school

A Class VIII student, whose parents had sought transfer certificate from the St. Rita’s Public School at Palluruthy in Kochi following the hijab (head scarf) controversy, joined a new school on Wednesday (October 29, 2025).

Her father P.M. Anas said she started attending classes at the Dawn Public School in Palluruthy affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education from Wednesday (October 29, 2025), ending days of uncertainty after the management of St. Rita’s Public School refused to permit his child to attend classes wearing the head scarf, citing the institution’s uniform policy.

“My younger son, who is Class V, has also joined the school today after getting the transfer certificate from St. Rita’s Public School,” he said.

In a Facebook post, Mr. Anas said she has joined an institution where other students would not be frightened by the small piece of cloth on her head. “She could pursue her studies with her head held high in the new school,” he said. He also thanked everyone, who stood by him in the times of difficulty after the issue had snowballed into a controversy.

Mr. Anas had said in a social media post on October 17, 2025 that he was pained over the controversy and did not want some vested interests trying to reap political and communal gains over it.

Kerala school hijab row: Student set to resume classes after parents agree to follow school dress code

Sr. Heleena Alby, principal of the church-run St. Rita’s Public School affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education, had then said they will welcome the student wholeheartedly if the parents agree to abide by the rules and regulations prescribed.

The Kerala High Court had on October 24, 2025 closed a plea by St. Rita’s School, which challenged a directive issued by the Deputy Director of Education (DDE), Ernakulam, to permit the student of the school to attend classes by wearing the head scarf.

This was after the court was informed that the student’s parents had decided to discontinue her studies at the school and to admit her in another institution. V. Sivankutty, Minister for General Education, had initially blamed the management for not permitting the student to wear the head scarf.