In a major relief to students of uneconomic aided-schools, which are facing threat of closure, Kerala government today decided to take over four such schools, including a 140-year-old one in Kozhikode district, which had been ordered to shut down by the High Court.

Though the government recently approached the Supreme Court against the Malaparamba Aided Upper Primary School management's decision to close it down, the apex court had dismissed its appeal against the High Court order to close down the school by June 8.

A Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, took the decision on Wednesday considering the future of students and widespread protests against the closure.

After the meeting, Vijayan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that the government would take adequate measures to protect such loss-making schools.

"The government will ensure protection of schools that are facing closure threats. We are not for closing schools and handing them over for being converted into real estate ventures," he said.

Education Minister C Raveendranath said government would inform the Supreme Court about its readiness to take over the Malaparamba school, which has a strength of about 60-odd students.

Besides parents and teachers, cultural and political activists have been staging stiff protests against the management's decision to close down the school for some time.

Though the manager of the school had approached the High Court and obtained a favourable verdict, the education officials were unable to close it and execute the court order due to protests.