Guj school students told to remove hijab

Surat: The parents of some girl students appearing for Class X examination in a Gujarat school have alleged that the administrator of the exam centre forced their wards to remove hijab before a paper, prompting the education department to take action against the school official.

According to the parents, the incident occurred at Lions School, a private school in Ankleshwar town in Bharuch district, on Wednesday before the mathematics paper. Following the allegation, the state education department on Thursday ordered the removal of the exam centre administrator, Ilaben Suratiya, who is also the principal of that school.

The action against her was taken by District Education Officer Swati Raol, after she met the parents of these girl students, officials said.

The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB), which conducts the Class X exams, made it clear that there are no specific rules about the clothes worn by the examinees, and they can appear for the exam in any “decent” attire.