The hijab controversy could not have come at a worse time for Karnataka’s students. The annual examinations are just two months away, and this period is when a large chunk of the syllabus is covered and exam preparations are underway.
Experts say such incidents are bound to affect children, especially those from marginalised communities.
Developmental Educationist Dr VP Niranjanaradhya said that it was natural that such developments will impact the students in schools and colleges. The impact will be two-fold - psychological and academic, he said.
While psychological aspects could trigger anxiety and emotional responses ahead of time, academically they could struggle to learn topics that they were supposed to.
The phenomenon will not be restricted to children in regions where protests have taken place. "All students will be anxious. However, those who were involved will be more anxious," he said, accusing the state government of victimising the children using politics.
He feared that Muslim girls could be the worst hit as there were chances that their family could ask them to stop education. "The students too could fear physical and mental harassment," he said, adding that they were more vulnerable compared to others.
A H Almas, one of the six students from Government Girls PU College, Udupi — where the first protest demanding hijab took place — said that the month-long protests have taken a toll.
Recently, she alleged that her number along with that of five other protesting girls were leaked by the college. "I am under so much mental harassment that I am unable to study," she said.
Noting that just a month was left for final exams, Shruthi (name changed), a student of Government PU College, Rabkavi Banhatti, Bagalkot district, lamented that unnecessary politics was eating into the limited time available.
"College is yet to complete the syllabus. and there is a teacher shortage. No one is protesting for these issues," she said. Many of her classmates, she said, were anxious and worried about their performance in the exams. "Such unnecessary incidents take a toll," Shruthi added.
Students from colleges of Mandya worry that they are losing confidence in their studies. Armugam, a final year BA student from Mandya, says that though he is preparing to write exams in March he is not able to concentrate. "I am finding it difficult to see my own friends fighting against each other," he said.
A lecturer of an aided college worries that learning will go for a toss due to the issue. "We are worried about our students' future as their focus has turned towards identity politics," he said, adding that the issue will have a rippling effect.
DH reached out to several professors from state run universities for their views on the issue. They refused to comment.
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