The South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (SDMC) education department officials today said no orders about prohibiting students from wearing “religious attire” in schools were issued. The clarification comes a day after SDMC education panel chairperson on Friday asked officials to make sure students don’t wear “religious attire” in schools.
The SDMC runs primary schools up to class V. Around 2.5 lakh students study at about 568 SDMC primary schools.
An SDMC official, seeking anonymity, told news agency PTI that no such order was issued. He said instructions in the chairperson’s letter were individual opinions not that of the education department. “We have not issued any order about not allowing students to wear religious attire in schools. We have not yet received any letter written by the Education Committee chairperson about not allowing students in religious attires,” the official told PTI.
Also read: South Delhi civic body disallows religious attire in schools
Notably, SDMC’s Education Committee Chairperson Nitika Sharma, in a letter to the SDMC education director, had said schools should ensure no students comes in “religious attires” to the campuses. “Lately, it has been seen that some parents are sending their wards to school in religious attires which is not right. This may develop the mentality of inequality among students, which is not good at all for their future,” she wrote.
“Keeping in view all these factors, all zonal officials should be directed to ensure that students can wear dress other than their uniforms only during school competitions and festivals. On normal days, students should be present in school in their school uniforms,” her letter stated.
Her latter came on Thursday a day after a parent in Tukhmirpur area of northeast Delhi alleged her daughter was asked not to wear a ‘headscarf’ in school.
Also read: Karnataka HC reserves order on hijab row
Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint.
Download
our App Now!!
For all the latest world News Click Here
