The Madras High Court today granted time to the play schools to comply with provisions of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools (Regulation) Act and said the question of closure would arise only if there is non-compliance.
A bench comprisiing Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sathyanarayan passed the order during the hearing of a PIL seeking to close down 764 play schools functioning without any recognition.
Recording the submission of Advocate General A L Somayaji that he would submit a schedule as to when necessary action would be taken, the bench said "suffice to say that we are not required to go into verification of each school, which is within the domain of the education authorities."
"Let the schedule be filed before the court as submitted by the Advocate General on the next hearing date", it said posting the matter for further hearing on August 14.
Petitioner K Balasubramanian submitted that apart from functioning without any legal sanction, the schools were collecting exorbitant fees and the complaints in this regard were pending before the Education Department Secretary.
The schools also did not have the required infrastructure, he contended.
The petitioner further sought an interim direction to restrain all these schools from in any manner admitting the wards till the disposal of the PIL.
