Unaided schools won't be closed down next year: Govt

Kochi: The State government has informed the High Court that the its recent order asking to close down unaided schools in the State will not be implemented in the coming academic year i.e. 2018-19.

This position statement came when the High Court took for hearing the writ petitions filed by the Management Association of Christian Schools and various other school managements challenging the government order.

The order had involved 1,600 schools and said that as per the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE Act), no elementary school (Class I to VII) could function without recognition from the government. But the petitioners contented that the government had no power to order closing down of minority educational institutions on the ground that they were unrecognized under the RTE Act. The petitions questioned the legality of the very order.

They also pointed out that there was no proper mechanism for granting recognition of minority institutions in the State. In addition, the SC through an earlier judgment had held that the RTE Act was not applicable for minority schools.

There has also been a wide protest and action move by managements of CBSE schools across the state against the government order which they contend is discriminatory and ignore the fact that such schools contribute greatly to the schooling facilities of the state. They also argue that without proper alternative facilities rendering such a large number of institutions.