Kochi: The Kerala High Court has granted permission for schools affiliated with the CBSE and ICSE boards in the state to conduct summer classes, albeit with specific regulations.

A bench comprising Justices E A Muhammed Mushtaq and M A Abdul Hakeem said that the timings of the vacation classes should be between 7.30 and 10.30 am.

The court issued the directive after the Kerala CBSE Management Association filed a petition before it against an order of the state General Education Department last year announcing a total ban on summer holiday classes for students in the state.

According to the court, government and aided schools cannot conduct summer vacation classes as there was no provision in this regard in Kerala Education Rules. However, the government can bring out special orders for holding the classes in these schools, the court said.

The ban order was issued by the government in May last year. According to the order, no classes should be conducted in government, aided, unaided, CBSE and ICSE schools during summer vacations. All schools should close for summer holidays on the last working day of March and reopen on the first working day of June, said the order from the General Education Department. Holding classes during holidays will cause mental stress for students and the severe summer heat could lead to health issues, it added.