HC permits Kallakurichi school to conduct direct classes from LKG

CHENNAI: After seven months since a private school in Kaniyamoor village of Kallakurichi district was shut due to the death of a Class 12 girl and subsequent violence which resulted in damages to properties, the Madras High Court allowed Latha Educational Society to conduct physical classes in their school from LKG to 4 from the first week of March.

Justice CV Karthikeyan passed the direction in the petition preferred by the educational society. Since physical classes for Class 5 to 12 were recently allowed by the court, classes for all the standards in the disputed school will be conducted in physical mode hereafter.

The judge granted the permission to the school after hearing the submissions of State Additional Advocate General (AAG) N Silambanan and KR Samratt, counsel for the petitioner submitted that the school had followed all the directions issued by the high court for conducting physical classes.

The AAG submitted a report on behalf of the Kallakurichi collector declaring that there was no dispute in the school.

Recording the submissions, the judge observed that the school management should allow the parents to visit school premises with their children to ensure the protection of the students. The judge asked the school management to make arrangements for this visit.

The court further suspended all the earlier directions in connection with the school except the one to seal the third floor of the 'A' block building - from where the girl student had committed suicide.

The judge made it clear the police protection given to the school will continue throughout this academic year. "If the school wants police protection for the next academic year, they shall make a representation to the competent authorities," the judge observed.

Justice Karthikeyan dismissed the petitions filed against the reopening of the school. The court directed the government to file a report within 12 weeks on the developments after allowing the physical classes for all standards.