Teachers at the Government Urdu Secondary School in a village in Kaup taluk of Udupi district were taken aback when some students turned on February 15 wearing a hijab (head scarf), as they had not been wearing it earlier.
A few girls among the 30-odd students from Classes 8 to 10 of the school in Fakiranakatte of Mallaru village, who were earlier coming to the school wearing a scarf around their neck, turned up on February 15 with a hijab covering their head, according to Govinda Madiwal, Deputy Director, Department of Public Instruction, Udupi.
Mr. Madiwal, who visited the school, told The Hindu that the students who turned up with hijab were allowed into their respective classrooms. Those from Class 10 appeared for the social science paper of the ongoing preparatory examinations, along with their other classmates.
Later, Mr. Madiwal said a meeting of parents was called wherein the mothers of the Muslim girls said their husbands had instructed their daughters to go to school wearing a hijab (head scarf). In the meeting, the parents were told not to make any changes in the dress code and comply with the interim order of the Karnataka High Court in which directions have been issued not to allow either hijab or any other garment that has a religious connection.
The parents promised to comply with the existing dress code from February 16, Mr. Madiwal said.
Police were posted in big numbers outside the school as a large number of people, including relatives of the students, had gathered near the school.
