Kerala college hijab row: St. Ritas Public School resumes functioning, administration rejects Education Ministers claims

St. Rita’s Public School at Palluruthy in Kochi, Kerala, which had remained shut for 2 days following the hijab row involving a Class 8 pupil, resumed performing on Wednesday (October 15, 2025) at the same time as the college authorities rejected Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty’s comment that they’d refused to allow her to attend courses for sporting headband.

Principal Sr. Heleena Alby informed mediapersons that the Minister had made such a press release “with out verifying the details.” The college had by no means prevented the coed from attending the courses even after the problem had come to the general public area, she stated.

She recalled a call by the Kerala High Court in 2018 in an identical case that college managements have the correct to border the principles and laws associated to highschool uniform. She stated the administration has “by no means resorted to discrimination” in opposition to any pupil primarily based on their faith. “We have submitted our reply to the discover issued by the Education division,” she stated.

The father of the coed had acknowledged on Tuesday that his daughter would adhere to the college’s gown code as he “didn’t wish to escalate” the alleged efforts to create a communal divide over the problem.

However, he stated on Thursday that he would possibly ask her to put on the headband in view of the directive issued by the Minister for General Education that she ought to be permitted to attend the college sporting it.