A sensational incident from Kerala has triggered widespread controversy after a headmistress was allegedly stopped from entering her school over her attire.
The incident occurred at a middle school in the Kottarakkara area of Kollam district, where Sindhu, the headmistress, arrived for duty wearing a chudidar. She was reportedly prevented from entering the school premises by the security guard, who closed the gate on her.
Shocked by the incident, the headmistress staged a protest and alerted the police. Following this, police personnel reached the spot and questioned the security guard.
During the enquiry, the guard told the police that the school manager had issued instructions that teachers wearing chudidar should not be allowed inside the campus. Acting on those instructions, he said, he stopped the headmistress and closed the gate.
Police later held talks with the school authorities and facilitated a compromise, after which the headmistress was allowed to enter the school and resume her duties.
The incident quickly snowballed into a major controversy across Kerala, drawing sharp reactions from teachers’ organisations and the public.
Responding to the backlash, the school manager denied issuing any such directive and claimed he had never instructed that the headmistress be barred from entering the school.
It is noteworthy that the General Education Department had issued an order in 2021 clarifying that there is no prohibition on teachers wearing attire such as chudidar or sweatshirts based on convenience and comfort.
Meanwhile, officials said disciplinary action is likely to be initiated against the school security guard in connection with the incident.
