India Orders Christian School to Readmit Muslim Girl Expelled for Wearing Hijab

Authorities say expulsion of 13-year-old violated constitutional rights and religious freedom laws

By Abdullahi Yusuf

Authorities in the southern Indian state of Kerala have ordered a Christian-run private school to allow a Muslim student to attend classes wearing her hijab, after the 13-year-old was reportedly removed from class for violating the school’s uniform code.

The case at St Rita’s Public School in Kochi has reopened India’s simmering debate over the right of Muslim girls to wear headscarves in educational institutions — an issue that has divided courts, governments, and communities since several northern and southern states imposed de-facto hijab bans in recent years.

According to Mathrubhumi, Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty said on Wednesday that the dispute “must be resolved through consensus,” but emphasized that “no one has the right to deny education.” He cited an official inquiry concluding that removing a student from class over her headscarf was a serious breach of duty and violated both India’s Right to Education Act and constitutional protections for religious freedom.

“The report clearly states the school’s action contradicted the fundamental rights guaranteed to every citizen,” Sivankutty said, urging the management to reinstate the student without conditions. The girl’s parent, who had initially withdrawn her, has since re-enrolled her at the school.

St Rita’s principal, Sister Heleena Alby, maintained that the school supports “uniformity” in dress code and was following management policy. Its legal adviser accused the minister of “speaking without studying the full case,” arguing that the government’s stance undermined private-school autonomy.

The incident surfaced after the principal circulated a letter announcing two days of closure, citing “distress among students and staff” following an argument between the student’s family and school officials. The letter went viral, prompting public criticism and calls for accountability.

The incident has once again brought India’s hijab debates into focus. In 2022, the state of Karnataka — then governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party — upheld a classroom hijab ban that forced many Muslim girls to drop out.

Analysts say the Kochi case highlights India’s ongoing struggle to balance secular schooling with religious expression amid a growing climate of Islamophobia. Rights advocates argue that the intervention in Kerala demonstrates an alternative model — one that protects diversity rather than suppressing it.

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