As Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) board exams for Class 10 students began in Karnataka on Monday, March 28, incidents of hijab-clad students being denied entry into exam halls were reported across the state. The Karnataka government had earlier ordered that uniforms will be compulsory in order to write the exam, upholding the High Court’s verdict on wearing hijabs inside educational institutions.
While many Muslim students chose to write the exam without the hijab, instances of hijab-clad students being turned away were reported in districts like Hubballi and Bagalkote district. In Bengaluru, a Muslim teacher who was on supervising duty has reportedly been suspended, as she appeared at the exam hall wearing a hijab. According to the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB), over 8.69 lakh students had enrolled for the exam but 20,994 students did not turn up. Last year, the absentees were only 3,769.
Last year, the attendance was 99.54%, which came down to 97.59% this year, according to the KSEEB. Among the 8.48 lakh students who appeared for the exam, 8.11 lakh were fresh candidates, 35,509 were private fresh ones and 1,701 were repeaters. As the exam approached, ministers of the Karnataka Cabinet, including Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, appealed to students to prioritise their education, and follow the uniform.
"Leave the ego and attend exams. Majority of students are following the High Court verdict and government notification," Education Minister BC Nagesh had said. "I have faith that they (students who are opposing the hijab ban) will also realise the importance of exams and attend. I repeatedly appeal... shed your ego and do not become a scapegoat for others," he added.
This was the first time in two years that full-scale SSLC exams were conducted, after being suspended during the pandemic.
The Karnataka High Court on March 15 upheld the Government Order that stated hijabs cannot be worn inside the classroom. The order says that in government schools, students should adhere to the dress code prescribed by the government, while in private schools the dress code will be decided by the school management. On March 15, after months of turmoil in the state over the issue of Muslim girl students wearing the hijab being denied entry to educational institutions, the Karnataka High Court dismissed student petitioners’ pleas against the ban on hijab in their classrooms and campuses.