Change of Name Would Create Confusion: Kerala High Court Quashes KSCPCR Order To Remove Word ‘Girls’ From A School's Name

Senior Advocate M. Ramesh Chander appeared for the Appellant and Advocate A. Dinesh Rao appeared for the Respondent.

Brief Facts-

The Petitioner, Sister Annamma Mathai was the manager of Little Flower Girls High Secondary School in Kanhangad and operated an unaided school under the Kerala Education Act and Rules. While the lower primary classes admitted boys alongside girls, the school transitioned to exclusively admitting girls from Class V onwards. As per the Petitioner, this remained the practice through to the Higher Secondary level, with no boys passing out from the institution at either the Xth or XIIth standard levels.

A communication was received by the Headmaster of the school directing the school to delete the word “girls” from the name of the school. As per the Petitioner, said directions and orders were based on directions issued by the Kerala State Commission For Protection Of Child Rights.

The Court considered whether the petitioner was bound to remove the word “girls” from the name of the school.

As per the Court, the Petitioner was not bound to follow the orders of the Kerala State Commission For Protection Of Child Rights for the simple reason that it did not hear the Petitioner before passing such orders.

Accordingly, the Court disposed of the Petition to the extent it is applicable to the petitioner's school and the directions in it to change the name of the school from 'Little Flower Girls' Higher Secondary School' to 'Little Flower Higher Secondary School'.