Kerala High Court stays order to close down school

KOCHI: The High Court on Monday stayed the government order to close down the school functioning under the Peace Foundation at Mathilakam near Kodungalloor. The court granted stay on the ground that the order did not adhere to the regulations of the Kerala Educational Rules (KER).  The counsel for the management, which had challenged the government order,   argued that the government cannot issue the notice to close a school functioning under the syllabus of the Central Board of Secondary Education on the ground of violating the provisions of KER.

The counsel  also submitted that the government had  not sought any explanation from the school before issuing the notice. Under the circumstances, the order issued by the deputy director of education should be annulled, the counsel said. The government counsel submitted that a criminal case was pending against the school for including materials in the textbooks inciting religious hatred.  So the school having a case against it should not be allowed to function, he said.                

The court, however, stayed the order by holding that the petition questioning the violation of the provisions of the KER need not be clubbed with the issues connected with the criminal case.  The education department had served the closure notice on 24 schools in the state for violation of KER. The court had stayed the orders except on Peace School the other day. Its petition was heard separately on Monday.