Team Herald
PANJIM: Allowing the Directorate of Education to withdraw its order taking over the management of the St Thomas Boys High School, Aldona, the High Court of Bombay at Goa, directed the Director of Education to pass a reasoned order in accordance with law within next four weeks.
The High Court was hearing a writ petition filed by the Fransalian Education Society praying to set aside the impugned order passed by the Director of Education to take over the management of the school and appointing an Administrator.
The Director of Education Shailesh R S Zingde had passed the impugned order under Section 20 of the Goa Daman and Diu School Education Act, 1984, taking over the management of the School run by the Fransalian Education Society without recording any reasons in support of the decision.
High Court Judge Justice M S Karnik observed that the impugned order passed by the Director of Education was not a reasoned order and that the same was vulnerable. The Director of Education proceeded to pass the impugned order after hearing the petitioner for some time and after recording the contentions of the respective parties.
Following this, the Additional Government Advocate S Priolkar submitted that the Director of Education will withdraw the order of taking over the management of the school and pass a reasoned order in accordance with law.
The Court allowed the respondent to withdraw the impugned order and consequently, the order appointing the Authorised Officer was revoked.
The Court further stated that considering the nature of the allegations in the complaint, a reasoned order be passed by the Director of Education, in accordance with law within next four weeks from the date of the order.
During the hearing, two other respondents Fr Valeriano Carvalho, who is currently the school headmaster and Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) tried to support the impugned order. But in the light of the stand taken by the Director of Education, the Court declined to hear them at this stage and added that they will be heard at the appropriate stage and kept all contentions open.
Adv Shivraj Gaonkar argued on behalf of the petitioner.
By an order dated April 3, 2023, the Director of Education passed an order taking over the management of the school with immediate effect for a period of three years in the first instance and appointed Assistant Director of Education Melwin D’Costa as Authorised Officer to manage the affairs of the school.
St Thomas Boys High School, Aldona is one of the Christian Minority Schools, which is directly under the President/Provincial Superior along with the governing body of Fransalian Education Society, Goa. It manages over 150 school throughout the world for over 100 years under Fransalian Education Societies and the management is committed to the welfare of the student communities.
