​Kochi: The contentious hijab row at St Rita’s Public School in Kochi's Palluruthy has reached a breaking point, with the student's father announcing on Friday that his daughter would leave the school and seek admission in another school due to the severe mental distress caused by the controversy. The decision comes after days of conflicting statements between the school management and state education minister V Sivankutty, culminating in a standoff where the school reiterated its strict uniform policy while the family opted to end the dispute by seeking a transfer.

​The student's father, PM Anas, stated that his daughter is unwell and not mentally prepared to continue her studies at the school. "She doesn't want to continue her studies at the school anymore. The principal said my daughter wearing a hijab is creating fear among other students. That is affecting her severely. We requested the school to permit her to wear the hijab, and the education department found our request was lawful. But the school is still not ready. So we decided to take a transfer."

​Anas added that he did not wish to escalate the issue further. His advocate also addressed what they termed "false reports" portraying the family as religious fanatics who don't value their daughter's education, clarifying that Anas's elder daughters are pursuing higher education in the UK and Russia, funded by bank loans he took while working on a boat. The family intends to take legal action against those spreading misinformation.

​Shortly after Anas's announcement, the school's principal, Sister Helena, addressed the media. While stating that the student is welcome to continue her education if she abides by the school's rules, she delivered a statement that pointedly thanked various authorities for their "support."

​In a remark that drew attention, Sr Helena thanked Education Minister V Sivankutty, who had continuously slammed the school's actions based on Ernakulam Deputy Director of Education’s (DDE) report and directed them to allow the student to wear the hijab.

"It's a fact that no school can function smoothly without the support of the education department. So we thank Sivankutty and the education department for all the support they have given," she said. 

She also extended her gratitude to the High Court for granting the school protection, as well as to local politicians and the media. The dispute reignited on Wednesday when the school publicly refuted the DDE's report, which had accused them of a "grave error." Minister Sivankutty had used the report as a basis to order the school to accommodate the student’s religious attire. However, the school has consistently cited a 2018 court verdict affirming the management's authority to set uniform policies.

​The issue has also drawn sharp commentary from the Syro-Malabar Church’s mouthpiece, Deepika, which published a scathing editorial accusing the government of "appeasement and silence" in the face of "religious fundamentalism." The editorial framed the controversy as a recurring pattern and stated, "Let the management of all schools decide on the uniform... those who are not interested can go to schools that permit religious displays.”