BANGALORE: The State Government will not permit new unaided primary schools and high schools "until further orders", Principal Secretary (Education) T.M. Vijayabhaskar has said.

The decision follows a directive by Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Basavaraj Horatti. However, the State Government was getting requests from institutions seeking a review of the decision, he told The Hindu .

Mr. Vijayabhaskar agreed that the decision had affected "quite a few schools" and added the number of pending applications was not available with him.

Besides, there were also schools which would stop growing in the sense that those having up to Class V could no longer automatically grow to Class VI now.

He said the decision could be reviewed though no meeting had been scheduled.

The Minister, it is stated, drew the attention of the officials to lack of infrastructure in many schools. He was also concerned about the adherence to the language policy.

Karnataka (Recognised) Unaided Schools Managements Association president G.S. Sharma said the Government could not straightaway deny permission to institutions that had applied for starting schools or to grow to higher classes.

The Government officials would have to inspect the school premises and check the infrastructure before denying permission.

Mr. Sharma said the Supreme Court had recently ruled that running an educational institution was a "pious obligation" of people.

There were court rulings in the past that suggested that schools can be run even without the permission of the Government what with education being a fundamental right.

Mr. Sharma suggested that the institutions that had applied for permission should get an order passed on their applications. If the Government says in writing that the permission is not granted without any valid reason, they could easily get directions from the courts directing the Government to grant permission.

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