Shiksha Jan Sangharsh Abhiyan (SJSA) members rallied to the Secretariat to draw attention of the State Government towards their demands which include improvement in standard of education in the Government-run schools and stopping hike in admission and tuition fees being charged by private schools on Friday.
They shouted slogans against the ‘apathetic’ attitude of the State Government. The administration deployed heavy police force, including women police personnel, to maintain law and order while the rally was on. Police personnel shadowed the agitators from the protest site till they reached the Secretariat.
Police stopped the agitators outside police barricade at the Secretariat. Police were found arguing with the protestors when the latter were trying to break through the barricade. later, they squatted on the barricade and demonstrated, demanding prompt redressal of their demands. The protesters alleged that several memorandums have been submitted to the government officers and political executives but their demands have not been met so far.
They have been protesting against uncontrolled hike in admission and tuition fees by the private schools for the past few months. Kamla Pant, one of the members of the association, said the Government should release GO, stopping private schools from hiking admission and tuition fees at their whims in the forthcoming academic session. The Government should fix up things instead.
The donations given during admissions in private schools should be stopped too and it should be declared an offence. Besides, the school authorities should not be allowed to dictate the parents to purchase children’s text books from particular shops, she said.
Apart from this, the Government should take initiatives to improve quality of education in the Government-run schools. There should be a norm to make the ministers, secretaries and other government officers to send their children to the Government-run schools for studies, she added.