The Kerala [Images] high court on Thursday issued notices to the authorities and Parents Teachers Association of a school in Kottayam, where five HIV positive children were facing 'boycott' by other students.

The division bench, comprising Chief Justice H L Dathu and Justice K T Sankaran, issued the notices through a special messenger on a petition by the Foundation for Integrated Research in Mental Health, Thiruvananthapuram.

The petitioner had sought a direction to the authorities of Mar Dionysius Primary school at Pampady to permit the five HIV positive children to continue their studies there and not to discriminate them.

They also sought a direction to the government to frame a policy or law with regard to the treatment of HIV/AIDS positive persons and prevent discrimination against them in educational institutions.

The five children, studying in Class II and III, are not attending classes as parents of other children have threatened to withdraw their wards from the school.

The children were not permitted to continue their studies in the school in December 2006 after parents of other students came to know about their HIV status.

After pressure from government mounted, the school authorities re-admitted them this month.