Madras HC directs authorities to upgrade Tamil Nadu govt school

Chennai: Madras high court has directed authorities to accept the contribution of Rs 2 lakh given by the public and pass orders for release of additional funds and ensure that the Government High School in Athiyur Thirukkai village in Villupuram district is upgraded into higher secondary school from the 2018 academic year.

“It goes without saying that, necessary infrastructural facilities, such as provisions of class room, allotment of teachers, shall also be done well in advance,” said a division bench comprising Justices T.S. Sivagnanam and K. Ravichandrabaabu while disposing of a PIL from A. Perumal, a resident of the village.

The bench said the government high school in the village was established in 1994, by upgrading the then existing panchayat union middle school. The school was located in 4.5 acres, which includes playground. In 2009, the villagers requested the education department to upgrade the school into higher secondary school and also remitted Rs 2 lakh into the government account, as public contribution for up-gradation. The government appears to have not taken action for up-gradation, the bench added.

The bench said from the counter affidavit filed by the Chief Educational Officer, it finds that a GO was cited, as being the guidelines for up-gradation and the high school, which was situated in the village does not fulfil the conditions stipulated in the said government order, as it does not have sufficient accommodation and infrastructural facilities, and the strength of the students was also less than 100.

One more reason cited in the counter affidavit for refusing the request for up-gradation was that, no higher secondary school should function within a radius of 8 kms from the proposed school, and in instant case, three government higher secondary schools were functioning within the radius of 8 km from the proposed school, and therefore, the condition was not fulfilled, the bench added.

The bench said firstly, the GO, which was said to have laid down guidelines was issued far back in 1997. The scheme and pattern of education and the aspirations of the students have changed in these 20 years. Therefore, the government should be proactive in the matter and no archaic rules and regulations shall be adhered to, in rejecting the request for up-gradation of the school made by the villagers especially when they have voluntarily come forward to contribute Rs 2 lakh in the year 2009. “We also feel that strict interpretation cannot be given for the distance rules between two schools,” the bench added.
 With regard to accommodation and infrastructural facilities, the bench said it was the government, which has to provide accommodation and infrastructural facilities, and that cannot be cited as reason for not according upgradation. If adequate infrastructural facilities were provided, with modern facilities, automatically, the strength of the students will also increase. Therefore the government should not approach the issue merely based on “Number Game” but should have far reaching thought process in the matter to provide good quality education. “Therefore, we do not agree with the stand taken by the Chief Educational Officer in the counter affidavit for rejecting the request for up-gradation of high school situated in the petitioner’s village,” the bench
added.