BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court directed the headmasters and managements of three primary schools in Bellary, Belgaum and Dharwad to file affidavits saying they have not violated any conditions on imparting education in Kannada only.

The court said that the institutions would have to file affidavits stating that they had neither violated nor would in the future violate the policy on the medium of instruction that was first set out by the State Government in a notification in 1994.

Court notices

The court had earlier issued notices to the State after the institutions petitioned it seeking quashing of the notices issued to them by the Deputy Director of Public Instruction.

One of the petitioners, Pupil Tree Foundation of Bellary, said that it had been permitted to run a primary school from the first to the sixth standard and to open a Kannada medium school.

Notice

The petitioner said that on July 13, 2006, it had received a notice from the Education department asking it to explain why it had started an English medium school.

The notice said that this was contrary to the language policy of the State enunciated in the April 29, 1994 order, according to which that the medium of instruction should either be the mother-tongue or Kannada.

School's plea

The school urged the court to quash the 1994 order and set aside the July 13 notification as it is ultra vires and illegal.

The Government contended that although the institutions had given undertakings that they would open Kannada medium schools, they had violated the norms by opening an English medium school.

This was contrary to the State policy, it said.

The team which inspected the school in Bellary had recovered papers in English.

Justice B.S. Patil adjourned further hearing on the case to September 28.

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