Members of Students Federation of India (SFI) on Wednesday picketed the office of the Chief Educational Officer here demanding proper implementation of the Right to Education Act in schools in Madurai district.
The protesters alleged that many of the schools in the district had not followed a proper and transparent procedure to fill 25 per cent of the seats reserved under the RTE Act for weaker sections of society. They claimed that a number of schools had refused to admit students under the Act.
The protesters also raised the issue of schools charging more than the stipulated fees. They demanded that the mechanism to monitor the schools that charged exorbitant fees be strengthened and the recognition of those violating the norms be cancelled.
Personnel from Tallakulam police station had placed barricades at the entrance of the CEO’s office to prevent the protesters from entering the premises.
As the protesters tried to enter the campus despite resistance, about 30 of them were detained by the police and released in the evening.
