HC pulls up Dist authorities

Updated on: Thursday, January 21, 2010

Chennai: Madras High Court has pulled up the Nagapattinam district authorities for not taking immediate action against 'unrecognised' private schools functioning in the district.

'Had action been taken at the initial stage itself', Justice K Venkataraman said 'students would not be suffering at this stage. Inaction on the part of authorities concerned have now landed the innocent students in great trouble.'

Dismissing petitions filed by the Correspondent of Assembly of Jesus Christ (AJC)school and the school's Parents' Association, the Judge suggested that the Tamil Nadu government, in the interests of the student community, give suitable directions to the district educational authorities to remain vigilant in future and take action against those schools which start functioning without any affiliation or recognition.

'Only then a situation of this nature may not arise in future,' he said.

The AJC Public School (CBSE) and Parents Association had sought to quash notifications issued by district authorities on December 4 last directing closure of the religious minority run school from LKG to ninth standard with a strength of 487 students and another notification on December 5 ordering closure of 10 more unrecognised schools.

The second order followed a crackdown on unrecognized institutions in the wake of a tragic accident when a school van plunged into a pond at Kathiripulam, resulting in the death of 10 students and a teacher.

'It is not the case of the petitioner that such recognition was granted by the state of Tamil Nadu. Further more, it is not even the case of the petitioners that affiliation was granted by CBSE', the Judge pointed out.

Affiliation by-laws of CBSE made it clear that a school seeking provisional affiliation should have prior recognition of the state government, the court held.

The state Additional Advocate General P Wilson informed the court that when it came to the notice of the authorities concerned that the ACJ school was yet to receive recognition, orders were issued to close it down.

Sufficient safeguards have been made to accommodate the students in another school so that the students did not suffer.

HC pulls up Dist authorities

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