Kochi: In a major order, the Kerala High Court on Friday asked a UP School in Palakkad to admit a girl student where girls students are not normally admitted to the lower primary sections. Though the school Seetharam Upper Primary school, Palakkad is a mixed school the LP section was earmarked only for boys.
Justice V. Chitambaresh stressed on the importance of co-education and observed that co-education helps children develop healthy trends and isolation of them at an young age would prove to be detrimental to their growth. No differentiation can be made between boy and girl with respect to admission to the lower primary or upper primary since it is deemed to be a mixed school.
A departure from this course is possible only if the director of public instructions is even empowered to withdraw the exemption in view of certain special circumstances. The HC observed “Normally children upto the age of 12 years study in the UP section of the school who treat their classmates-girl or boy-alike without any oblique thoughts. A brotherly affection pervades amongst them and “a mixed school at least up to the UP section should be encouraged.”
The court directed Palakkad deputy director of education to grant admission to Anusree to the first standard. Palakkad native Jayasree moved the court after the school denied her daughter admission to the school. The petitioner contended that her elder son- Arun is already a student of the school so it would be better for her daughter to get education from the same school.
The manager and the headmaster of the school contended that no girl student had been admitted to the lower primary section of the school for years and that it is confined to boys only. The court observed that all primary schools whether it be lower or upper shall be deemed to be mixed schools and admissions thereto shall be open to boys and girls alike. The court further observed that refusing admission for the daughter of the petitioner in the absence of a permission from the educational authorities is 'obnoxious'.
