No burkha for exams, school issues diktat
On Friday, J C Shah Prakash High School almost turned away 11 girls wearing burkhas even though they had not covered their faces. They later allowed the girls in, asking them not to wear it to school again
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Sunday, March 14, 2010 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2010031420100314022749246c249d019)
A burkha ban during board exams is unheard of. Unless you are in France. And so it came as a shock to 11 Muslim girls when officials at J C Shah Prakash High School told them on Friday that they could appear for class X computer exam only if they took off their burkhas.
The girls, students of Jamali English High School in Jamalpur, protested saying they belonged to Dawoodi Bohra community and that wearing burkha was customary.
They also told the authorities that they were not covering their faces and therefore should not be stopped from taking the exam. But the officials did not relent. They asked the girls to get out of the exam hall if they could not oblige.
Angry parents who were waiting outside the centre took up the issue with Maulik Shah, the school principal.
“If they had not covered their faces, what was the issue? Shouldn’t they be treating it like just another dress?” said a parent.
“The principal told us that the students could keep their burkhas with them, but would have to enter the class wearing regular clothes. It was after we told them that the girls could not remove the burkha because they were only wearing petticoats underneath, did he allow them to take the exam,” another parent said. The officials, however, issued a diktat on Friday that henceforth students wearing burkhas will not be allowed at the exam centre.
School’s Managing Trustee J C Shah accused the parents of overreacting, saying: “We only asked the students to take off the burkha, not their clothes. Also, we did consider the parents’ pleas and even allowed the girls to take exams. So what’s the fuss?”
He said that even his school does not encourage students to wear burkhas to exams.
“We always ask our students not to wear burkhas to exams. And we don’t mean to hurt religious sentiments when we say that. What if the students hide chits in the burkha? We will never come to know. It is to discourage students from indulging in malpractice that we ask them to come wearing regular dress.”
The parents, however, rubbish that explanation.
“The girls took their other exams at Vanita Vishram School on Gandhi Road. But they never faced a problem there. Also, there is no rule stating a student cannot appear for an exam in a burkha,” said a parent.
Ahmedabad’s District Education Officer K K Rathod said: “So far, I have not received any complaint in this regard. However, I shall investigate the matter on Monday. I would like to make it clear to all schools that there is no rule stating burkha should not be worn to schools.”
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Sunday, March 14, 2010 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2010031420100314022749246c249d019)
A burkha ban during board exams is unheard of. Unless you are in France. And so it came as a shock to 11 Muslim girls when officials at J C Shah Prakash High School told them on Friday that they could appear for class X computer exam only if they took off their burkhas.
The girls, students of Jamali English High School in Jamalpur, protested saying they belonged to Dawoodi Bohra community and that wearing burkha was customary.
They also told the authorities that they were not covering their faces and therefore should not be stopped from taking the exam. But the officials did not relent. They asked the girls to get out of the exam hall if they could not oblige.
Angry parents who were waiting outside the centre took up the issue with Maulik Shah, the school principal.
“If they had not covered their faces, what was the issue? Shouldn’t they be treating it like just another dress?” said a parent.
“The principal told us that the students could keep their burkhas with them, but would have to enter the class wearing regular clothes. It was after we told them that the girls could not remove the burkha because they were only wearing petticoats underneath, did he allow them to take the exam,” another parent said. The officials, however, issued a diktat on Friday that henceforth students wearing burkhas will not be allowed at the exam centre.
School’s Managing Trustee J C Shah accused the parents of overreacting, saying: “We only asked the students to take off the burkha, not their clothes. Also, we did consider the parents’ pleas and even allowed the girls to take exams. So what’s the fuss?”
He said that even his school does not encourage students to wear burkhas to exams.
“We always ask our students not to wear burkhas to exams. And we don’t mean to hurt religious sentiments when we say that. What if the students hide chits in the burkha? We will never come to know. It is to discourage students from indulging in malpractice that we ask them to come wearing regular dress.”
The parents, however, rubbish that explanation.
“The girls took their other exams at Vanita Vishram School on Gandhi Road. But they never faced a problem there. Also, there is no rule stating a student cannot appear for an exam in a burkha,” said a parent.
Ahmedabad’s District Education Officer K K Rathod said: “So far, I have not received any complaint in this regard. However, I shall investigate the matter on Monday. I would like to make it clear to all schools that there is no rule stating burkha should not be worn to schools.”
