The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Schools given time till July 18

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Saturday, Jul 07, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Schools given time till July 18

Staff Reporter

Schools can approach Government for relief

Bench says it will not hear any more arguments
‘Orders passed after considering pleas of all people’

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Friday refused to review its earlier order directing primary schools to impart education in Kannada or the medium of instruction for which they had been granted recognition.

It extended time till July 18 for these schools to file affidavits undertaking to impart education in the medium in which they had been granted recognition.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice B.S. Patil passed the order on a review petition by the Karnataka Private Schools Management Federation and an interlocutory application (IA) by Karnataka Unaided Schools Management Association (KUSMA) seeking extension of time to file the affidavits.

When the matter came up, D.L. Jagadeesh, who appeared for the federation, urged the court to review its order of June 25. He said when a single judge had passed orders on petitions by the federation and other schools, parents had admitted their children to schools. He said the Government had not taken any action against the schools for 13 years.

The Bench said it would not hear these arguments any further as they had been heard at length during the appeal. It said it would not permit the students admitted this year for the first standard to study in English.

It said it would not come in the way of the schools from approaching the Government and obtaining any relief. “We cannot pass any order as the court itself has directed the schools to fall in line”, it said.

When the federation said the court should understand the difficulties of the parents and children, the Bench remarked that it had passed orders only after considering the difficulties of all the people. When Mr. Jagadeesh sought to read out the interim order passed by the Full Bench of the High Court on the language policy, the Bench said it was not the subject matter of the dispute.

It said although the primary schools had given an undertaking to the Government to teach in the medium in which they had been granted recognition, most schools had violated the undertaking. “Were you legally and morally justified in doing so?,” it asked. Although the Government was aware of the violations, it took a lenient view and came out with a scheme to help such errant schools, it said.

When the federation sought to argue, the Bench remarked that it would have to react to these arguments and these would come in the way of the Government considering their case.

The Bench disposed of the review petition, saying that it did not find any valid or sufficient grounds to review its June 25 order. However, in view of the practical difficulties faced by the petitioners for filing of the affidavits, it extended the time till July 18.

When the IA by KUSMA came up, the Bench extended the time for more than 1,000 of its members to file affidavits before July 18. The Bench’s earlier deadline for filing affidavits expired on July 2 and the federation, KUSMA and Karnataka Unaided Minority Schools Association (KUMSA) had sought more time.

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