The Madras High Court was today informed that strict instructions have been given to schools not to use primary and elementary school children for welcoming VIPs.
The Chief Education officer, in a notification submitted to the court, said that in unavoidable circumstances the schools could use NCC, scouts, red cross and green brigade volunteers to participate in such functions after ensuring that the students had adequate drinking water and toilet facility.
The officer said it had been brought to authorities' notice that students' health was affected by participation in such programmes. Besides, they were not able to focus on studies. A lot of PILs were being filed against using students for welcoming VIPs.
The Registrar of the Madurai Kamaraj university also informed the court that he had issued a notification to the University Public Nursery and Primary school management not to permit primary level students to participate in such programmes (welcoming VIPs). However, the students could participate in university functions and cultural programmes.
The submission was made when a PIL, seeking a direction to inquire into school children allegedly being made to stand in the sun for one hour as part of a 'grand' reception accorded to former Madurai Kamaraj University Vice-Chancellor Kalyani Mathivanan on her return some months ago after the Supreme Court stayed quashing of her appointment, came up.
A division bench of the High Court's Madurai Bench, comprising Justice R Sudhakar and Justice V.M.Velumani disposed of the PIL after recording the submissions of the two officials.
The court had earlier directed the Principal Secretary of Higher Education and Secretary of School Education to file their responses on the PIL by retired professor P Vijayakumar.
