Coimbatore : Expressing their demand to revoke NEET and safeguard public education and government schools, the cadres of Students Federation of India (SFI) staged a road roko in front of the District Educational Office here on Thursday.
Coimbatore : Expressing their demand to revoke NEET and safeguard public education and government schools, the cadres of Students Federation of India (SFI) staged a road roko in front of the District Educational Office here on Thursday.
Tense situation prevailed, as the police forced the protestors to disperse the protest and pushed them into police vans. More than 40 protestors were courted arrest.
The SFI members alleged that the State government's decision to close 3400 government schools and their decision inviting individuals, private agencies and corporates to adopt government schools, is a clear indication of government withdrawing funds to educate its citizens from economically and socially backward classes who will be deprived of opportunities for education. They also expressed their disapproval on NEET and demanded the State government to urge the central government to revoke NEET from Tamil Nadu.
They also expressed their concern over the mushrooming growth of private schools in the State, among which many do not possess valid recognitions The SFI members also pointed that the State government has failed to initiate action against the private schools charging exorbitant fees. Recalling the Right to Education (RTE) Act that mandates 25 per cent of seats at private schools to be reserved for economically backward students without any fees, the SFI cadres alleged that private schools, fake documents and show that the RTE act is implemented.
"All schools must mandatorily implement RTE act without any discrimination", the SFI protestors stressed.