THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The controversy over a class eight student’s right to wear a hijab at St Rita’s Public School, a church-run public school in Kochi, has snowballed into a major showdown between the school management and Kerala’s Left government.
General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Thursday criticised the school, accusing it of pursuing “political interests” in the matter. His remarks followed a press conference held by the school authorities on Wednesday, where they sharply criticised the state government’s handling of the issue.
The Minister said the school should not have involved an advocate with alleged Congress links to make derogatory statements against the government. He urged the management to refrain from actions that disrupt the academic environment and said the government will act in whatever way posssible within the law to safeguard students’ interests.
“Instead of finding a peaceful solution to the issue, there should not be any attempts from any quarters to use it for political gain. For the government, the academic future of the students is its priority,” Sivankutty told reporters.
Issuing an indirect warning to the school, he said the matter had already been resolved through consensus. “Conducting a provocative press conference, even after finding a solution to the issue through discussions, was not at all appropriate,” he added.
Sivankutty had altered his stance on the hijab issue twice on Wednesday. While he initially affirmed the student’s right to wear the headscarf, he later said the matter should be considered closed if a school-level consensus had been reached.
On Wednesday, St. Rita’s authorities had countered the Minister’s claim that the school refused to allow the student to attend classes wearing a hijab, saying his statement was made “without verifying the facts.”
