Let Elampra also get an LP school

The Supreme Court has ordered immediate action to establish government LP schools within one kilometer and UP schools within three kilometers in all areas of Kerala. This is a setback that Kerala has brought upon itself. It was in 1985 that the locals of Elampra, Malappuram district, first raised the demand for an LP school. Following this, the locals collected money and bought one acre of land for a government LP school. The Manjeri municipality announced that it would construct a building. Still, the government did not permit a school. The first person to oppose this must have been some official in the education department, who thought that denying any need was the "right" administrative action. The education department will not incur much money since the land is provided by local community members and the municipality handles the construction of the school building. Since it is an LP school, there is no need for many teachers. However, the education department continued its policy of inaction. Later, the locals filed a complaint with the Child Rights Commission and the Human Rights Commission. Still, nothing happened. Then, a public activist named Muhammad Faizi filed a petition in the High Court on this matter. The High Court sought a report from the District Education Officer. The DEO submitted a report that there was no LP school within a one-kilometre radius of Elampra.

According to the Right to Education Act, the rule is to establish an LP school within a radius of one kilometer of an area. The High Court ordered the establishment of a school in Elambra based on the report of the District Education Officer and the Right to Education Act. Still, the government did not comply with it and went to the Supreme Court against the verdict.

Not even one-tenth of the amount spent by the government to file a case in the High Court and the Supreme Court was needed to start a school in Elampra. When the government went to the Supreme Court after spending so much money, all it received was a scolding. This is similar to asking, "You got slapped?" and getting a reply, "No, I asked for it." The three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant said that it was surprising that a state like Kerala, which boasts of 100 percent literacy, did not comply with the provisions of the Right to Education Act, before ordering that action be taken within six months to establish an LP school within one kilometre and a UP school within three kilometres. The Supreme Court has pointed out that the government cannot fail to fulfill its constitutional responsibility of implementing the Right to Education Act by citing lack of funds or the Kerala Education Act.

The Supreme Court rejected the state government's proposal that, instead of setting up a government LP school in Elampra, Manjeri, the children could be taken to a school three kilometres away by bus at the government's expense. The Supreme Court pointed out that the Right to Education Act does not mandate the provision of buses to transport children to school, but rather the establishment of schools within a radius of one kilometer. The court added that this ruling does not apply to the aided sector or the private sector. The Department of General Education and the government should at least show the wisdom to not take a case all the way to the Supreme Court for such a trivial matter.