School shut down despite minister's word in Kerala

THRISSUR: Even as the  education minister said that  none of the aided or government schools in the state would be closed, Wadakkanchery AEO officially closed and sealed the office of Kiralur Parasurama Memorial LP school in Veloor panchayat here on Monday. Minister C. Raveendranath had said here a few days ago that the state government would  file  an appeal in the Supreme Court against the closure of Malaparambu school in Kozhikode and Kiralur school in Thrissur.

However, AEO T.N. Ambikavalli, who sealed the school with the assistance of the police,  told DC that there was a Supreme Court order dated  September 25, 2015 to close the school and that it should not function from the next academic year.   “The other day, the High Court had summoned me and warned of contempt of court and a deadline of May 30  was given to shut down the school. I had no  way other than to close the school,” Ms Ambikavalli said.

Mr P.K. Harikrishnan of the school protection samiti alleged that the lawyers of the Directorate of Primary Instruction (DPI) had joined hands with the management to get a favourable order to close the school. “We had pinned our hopes on the DPI in vain,” he said and added  that from June 1 onwards, all the 40 students would reach the school and four teachers of the school would hold classes as well.

“Against the Right to Education Act of the union government, no arrangements were made to shift the students to the nearest school with is four-and-a-half km away from Kiralur,” he noted.   The police slapped cases against the protesters for unlawful assembly after arresting them.