Aggrieved over dress code, student avails TC from school

Thiruvananthapuram: Parents of an eighth-grade student said on Wednesday that they decided to get a transfer certificate for their ward after the school insisted the student to strictly adhere to its dress code.
Jyoti Nilayam School at Thumba, established by the Ursuline Sisters of Mary Immaculate 47 years ago, refused to allow the girl to wear a headscarf, which conflicted with the institute’s dress code.
School principal Sister Archana Paul said none of the other several Muslim students had a problem with the dress code.
“Headscarf was never an issue here. No one had ever said that they would not follow rules,’’ she said.
Incidentally, the high court of Kerala had a year ago favoured the management of another school in a similar case.
While disposing a case filed by two Muslim girl students of Christ Nagar Senior Secondary School, Thiruvallam, the court had observed that a private school cannot be asked to allow students to wear uniform in accordance with their religious beliefs.
The order by Justice A Muhamed Mustaque said while the petitioners had the fundamental right to choice of dress based on religious injunctions, the school management had the fundamental right to establish, manage and administer an institution under Article 19 of the Constitution. “When there is a priority of interest, individual interest must yield to the larger interest,” the judgment read.
Shahjahan S, father of the student, said his daughter wore a headscarf while attending the test and interview at Jyoti Nilayam.
“When the school opened on June 6, the principal asked her to take it off. It was repeated on the second day, and we met the principal. She insisted that we must strictly follow the dress code,’’ he said.
Shajahan said his daughter has been wearing headscarf from Class V. “We sought admission here after shifting our residence to Kadinamkulam. The school where she was studying till now had no issue with the headscarf,’’ he said.
He applied for the TC when school stood firm. He mentioned ‘mafta not allowed’ as the reason for leaving the school. “However, when we got the TC on Monday, the reason for transfer was mentioned as ‘need better facilities,” he said.
Sister Paul said none of the 2,000 students ever had a problem with the dress code. “Our PTA, too, believes in following the dress code. We cannot allow any exception,’’ she said.