Wearing hijab or not is student's choice: DEO on Ramnad incident

CHENNAI: In a bid to reach an amicable solution in the controversy of a girl student asked not to wear a hijab by her school principal in Ramanathapuram, the District Educational Officer (DEO) met both the principal and the student with her parents.

To the unversed, a video surfaced on the internet on Wednesday where a government school principal of Ramanathapuram's Sathankulam asked it is the "practice" in place in the school to not wear outfits related to religion. The girl's mother went on to ask is there any such rule in place and said in no other school such restrictions have been imposed.

Taking the issue further, a Muslim outfit filed an RTI to know if there is any such restriction in Tamil Nadu and the response stated students are free to wear hijab.

Under the suggestion of Chief Educational Officer (CEO), Balu Muthu, District Educational Officer Murugammal led a consultative meeting with the school principal, teachers, parents of girl children and members of the local Jamath.

The education authorities while clarifying that students are free to either wear or not wear hijab to schools, said it was not right to shoot a video and release it hideously.