New Delhi: The Gujarat Education Department on Thursday removed a principal of a private school as an exam administrator after outrage erupted among parents who alleged that she had compelled Muslim girl students to remove their hijabs before a Class X examination.
The incident took place at Lions School in Ankleshwar town, Bharuch district, just before the mathematics paper on Wednesday of the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB), reported news agency PTI.
District Education Officer Swati Raol, after meeting with concerned parents and reviewing CCTV footage, ordered the removal of the Ilaben Suratiya Suratiya as the exam centre administrator.
"I have seen the CCTV footage and the parents also gave their application to me in this regard. I have ordered an inquiry into the incident and also started the process to change the exam centre administrator because I found merit in the complaint," Raol said, as per the PTI report.
Parents recounted how their daughters, including one who cried for hours after the incident, were pressured by school staff to remove their hijabs before the exam.
Suratiya defended the actions, stating that ensuring clear video recordings of all students' faces was the rationale behind the request.
Suratiya justified the action, citing the need for clear facial identification as per exam protocols. "As per the rules, the faces of all the students must be clear in the video recording. That's why we had asked the girls to remove their (head) scarves before the exam so that we don't have to disturb them during the exam and others also don't get disturbed," Suratiya said, the PTI report added.
However, Raol contested this action of the principal saying "there are no specific instructions or guidelines from the board about the attire to be worn during exams".
CCTV footage revealed that female supervisors requested Muslim students to remove their hijabs for facial identification. Parents expressed outrage, with one stating their daughter cried for hours after the incident.
Prompted by these concerns, Raol initiated an investigation and replaced Suratiya as the exam centre administrator.
Talking to reporters, a parent said, "The school principal and other staff harassed the girl students, including my own daughter, by asking them to remove their hijab ahead of the exam.
"My daughter cried for three hours after returning home. It happened with nearly a dozen girls yesterday. We want the authorities to take action against those involved in this act," the parent said, reported PTI.
The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board clarified that no specific dress code exists for examinees, emphasizing that students can wear any "decent" attire during exams.
Exam Director M K Raval stated that there are no strict rules regarding attire, with students permitted to wear any decent clothing.
"There are no specific rules about clothes to be worn during exams. Students can wear any decent attire. Any female supervisor can check the identity of a female student ahead of the exam by matching her face with the photo on the receipt. After that, we have no issues," Raval said, reported PTI.