It has been a rollercoaster ride for the management of Modern English School at Ejipura here. From being denied permission to run classes in English medium to be even derecognised, it has been a 27-year-long battle with the government.
In fact, the recognition order also came after the school knocked on the doors of the High Court seeking recognition. While the school had permission to run higher primary classes in English medium, it did not have permission to run lower primary classes in English medium.
“We have been consistently applying for permission every year for two decades, which was refused. We have been facing harassment from various officials and the department had even de-recognised the school, which was stayed by the court. They would not even sign on transfer certificates if it had English-medium permission,” school’s president M.S. Khan told The Hindu .
An overjoyed Mr. Khan felt that the order issued on Thursday was the culmination of efforts of private school associations, which fought the legal battle for two decades. The school has 800 students and 45 staff members. The department has asked the school to return the Kannada medium registration documents.
More applications
Meanwhile, private school managements are upbeat following the Thursday’s development. This, they said, would regularise the records and pave the way for many schools that were illegally running classes in English medium.
The Department of Public Instruction will now process applications of 743 new schools and 774 existing ones, and accord permission to all eligible schools before May 20 as directed by the High Court. All the deputy directors of public instruction have been asked to compile reports of schools, how long have they been running classes in English medium, if they are petitioners in the language policy case fought in courts or if the school has violated any of the rules of the department.
C.R. Mohamed Imitiaz, chairman of the Karnataka State Minorities Educational Institutions Federation, said the order had granted permission to run classes in English medium for 2015–16, and added that they would move court for retrospective recognition.
