A day after the Supreme Court rejected the Kerala government’s appeal against a state High Court order to shut down the Malaparamba UP school in Kozhikode, another lower primary school in the neighbouring district of Malappuram was closed down on Tuesday.
Officials of the state education department succeeded in enforcing another court order and went on to seal a lower primary school at Olavattur in Malappuram amidst tight security, following protests by locals.
The District Education Officer who came to implement the court order to close down the more than 85-year-old Mangattumury-aided Lower Primary School faced stiff resistance from agitating locals including members of the Parents-Teachers Association and Students Federation of India activists, police said.
They were later dispersed by the police deployed at the spot and no untoward incident was reported. The officials were then able to enter the school premises, secure the documents and effect the closure. The school had around 80 students on the rolls.
About 25 SFI activists were taken into custody in connection with the protest, SI Baburaj said.
Earlier in May, officials had to twice beat a hasty retreat when they tried to implement a court order to close an aided upper primary school in Kozhikode district, due to widespread agitation among locals.