KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the State Government to implement its order to close down the 145-year-old Upper Primary School at Malaparamba in Kozhikode on or before May 27.
Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar issued the order while considering a petition filed by school manager P K Padmarajan. The petitioner submitted that the State Government had failed to comply with a previous High Court directive to close the school by March 31. The court had observed that closure of the school was the right of the manager. “Since the school does not have recognition under the RTE Act, the manager’s right to close it, as obtaining under the Kerala Education Act and Rules, is absolute and cannot be interfered with,” held the court. The petitioner had given a notice seeking closure of the school as the school is uneconomic and a portion of the 35-cent land on which it is situated is sought to be acquired for widening the Wayanad-Kozhikode highway.
In November 2103, the government granted permission to the petitioner to close down the school, from the 2014-15 academic year.