Karnataka HC relief to eight schools on recognition row

Court asks govt to show their names in SSLC certificates of their students

The High Court of Karnataka has directed the State Government to show the names of the schools, whose recognition were withdrawn during the fag end of the academic year for want of renewal, in the SSLC marks cards of students who had studied Class X in these schools during the academic year 2021-22.

Justice P. Krishna Bhat issued the direction while disposing of the petitions filed by Shanthi Nikethan High School, Viveknagar, and seven other schools from Bengaluru.

On perusal of the various circular, the court said that it is abundantly clear that the petitioners and similarly situated schools were granted permanent recognition. And these schools had all continued on the said recognition and admitted students, who were taking SSLC exams in their schools.

The court also noted that even for academic year 2021-2022, the students in the petitioners schools had all attended classes based on the recognition for the academic year 2021-2022. It was only when the petitioner schools were communicated with the circular, dated March 22, 2022, they came to know that earlier circular, dated November 2, 2006, under which permanent recognition was granted to them, has been withdrawn, They were then required to apply for fresh recognition by satisfying all the requirements.

Further, the court found that pursuant to March 22, 2022, circular, the students of the petitioners schools were compelled to attend SSLC exams in external centers by not allowing these schools as examination centre.

“Taking into consideration the facts noticed above, namely that for the entire academic year 2021-2022, the classes were conducted in the petitioners’ schools on the assurance that the petitioners had recognition for running the schools for the current academic year and in such circumstances, it is arbitrary for the respondents to deny the credit to the petitioners schools in the sense that the students, who have passed SSLC examination should have SSLC certificates without the name of their respective schools on it,” the Court said.

As per March 22 circular, names of the external examination centre, where students of the petitioner schools where compelled to write SSLC exams was to be shown in the SSLC marks cards.