Kerala Minister Orders School to Allow Muslim Girl to Wear Hijab, Upholding Religious Freedom in Education

Oct 15, 2025 08:52 am CST

Kerala's Education Minister V Sivankutty has directed a Christian-run private school in Kochi to permit a Muslim eighth-grade student to continue wearing her religious headscarf while attending classes. Following an investigation that found the school's previous ban violated constitutional religious freedoms and the Right to Education Act, the minister affirmed that Kerala's secular values must be upheld in all educational institutions, while allowing the school to determine the appropriate color and design of the hijab.