A division bench of Calcutta High Court on Monday ruled that the authorities of government-aided schools have the right to conduct tests before admitting their Class IV students to Class V, even if they have been promoted.

There are festering disputes between the guardians and the management of several schools, including Patha Bhavan, over the matter. The state education department does not have a specific policy in this regard.

The division bench of Justice A.K. Basu and Justice Pronab Deb upheld the submission made by Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya, who maintained that the authorities of a school had the right to screen students before admitting them to the secondary level.

In its verdict, the division bench observed that the primary and secondary sections of a school are under the jurisdiction of separate bodies ? Primary School Council, and Board of Secondary Education ? and the latter has the right to take admission tests.

Over the past six years, several petitions have been moved in the high court by the guardians of the students of various schools, challenging the decision of the authorities to hold admission tests of students who have cleared Class IV from the primary section.

In 2003, Justice K.J. Sengupta, after hearing a plea by the guardians of Shibpur Hindu Girls? High School students, had ruled that the secondary section of the school had no right to take admission tests for Class V. He asked the school authorities to admit to Class V all students who had passed Class IV.

The secondary section of the school, which receives assistance from the state education department, had challenged the ruling before a division bench of the same court. In May last year, the division bench upheld Justice Sengupta?s judgment.

The school authorities then moved a revision petition before the same division bench and appointed mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya as their counsel. Monday?s judgment was delivered on the plea.