Plus Two schools: Govt.'s fresh order illegal, says HC

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, NOV. 24. The Kerala High Court on Friday declared illegal the July 26 Government order - the fresh one since the High court had quashed the Government's earlier order - granting Plus Two courses to as many as 387 high schools.

Mr. Justice G. Sivarajan, however, refrained from quashing the order since students had already been admitted and classes had begun. If the order was quashed, it would adversely affect the student community as a whole, the Judge said. Besides, the grievances of the petitioners (various school managements) were the non-inclusion of their schools in the fresh list. Therefore, it was not necessary to set aside the entire July 26 order.

The order was passed by the Government following a direction of a High Court Division Bench. Quashing the entire order granting Plus Two schools, the Bench had directed the State Government to consider all the 1,429 applications submitted by various schools afresh and draw up a new list. The Bench had issued the directive on the ground that the Government had not followed the norms and guidelines while granting Plus Two courses to various schools.

The Judge now found that the State Government had not complied with various provisions in the seven Government orders (regarding the guidelines) except the March 30, 2000 order. In fact, it would amount to contempt of court, for which action could be taken either under the Contempt of Court Act or by initiating suo motu proceedings.

The Judge pointed out that the appropriate course would have been to do the entire exercise of selection of schools once again and it would have put the State Government in the dock and students ``in a state of chaos''.

The Bench, however, held that as many as eight high schools were now entitled to get Plus Two courses. They were: Government High School, Aryanad, Government Model High school, Venganoor, L. V. High School, Pothanikad, St. Roche's High School, Thop, V. P. M. High School, Vellarada, Holy Angels' High School, (all in Thiruvananthapuram district), Assumptions Girls High School, Sulthan Bathery, Wayanad, and Elambachee Government High School, South Thrikkaripoor, in Kasaragod.

The court was yet to consider the petitions filed by the aggrieved schools from the other districts.

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Section  : Southern States
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