Kerala grants police protection to school in headscarf row

The Kerala High Court has granted police protection to St Rita's Public School, a Christian management institution in Kochi affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

- Ashraf Padanna

The order follows reported threats and mob intrusion concerning the school’s dress code for children, which has been the centre of a contentious issue involving a Muslim girl student who sought to wear a hijab alongside her prescribed school uniform.

Justice N Nagaresh issued this interim order in response to a writ petition seeking protection for the school's management, staff, and students from potential harm arising from escalating tensions over the uniform regulations.

The conflict began when a student, supported by her father, attempted to wear a hijab in violation of the school’s established dress code.