Thiruvananthapuram: DPI K.V. Mohankumar on Sunday asserted that the state had powers to withdraw the NOC of ICSE schools if they did not follow its directives. However, the power wrested with the government and not the education department. He was reacting to the stand of the principal of Trinity Lyceum Kollam that education department cannot seek his removal because the school does not fall within the purview of the state board.
The DPI said that the NOC issued to the schools under all central boards had specifically stated that the school agreed to obey any decision taken by the government. There are Supreme Court verdicts upholding powers of the state to intervene in issues related to the running of schools.
"No school can hence, claim that it is not entitled to obey the directive of the state government. Education is on the concurrent list. Both state and Union governments have the power to bring in regulations on it," he said. “The functioning of schools is governed by both the KER enacted by the state government and the Right to Education Act of the Union government. No school can violate these or other rules.”
