As asides go, this one was pretty deep.
Chief Minister N. Rangasamy may have been spoken off the cuff at his press meet the other day to defend the Government’s CBSE roll out. But, what he said touches on a social foible.
Following persistent queries by journalists on the implementation of CBSE pattern in government schools, he said the majority welcomed the move as it afforded even the poorest of poor studying in government schools access to quality education on a par with private schools.
And, then he made this rather startling disclosure that during admission season his residence is often overwhelmed by parents seeking a recommendation letter for a seat for their child in a private school.
Even though he would advise them not to go for admission there and they wouldn’t relent and literally plead with him. Some of them were even ready to part with Rs. 1 lakh as donation to the preferred school.
“When we have CBSE in Government schools such a situation will hopefully end,” Mr. Rangasamy said.
Heat hurry
Of the several protests held last week was one by a group of activists under the banner of Poorangal Federation of India in front of Education and Electricity Minister T. Thiagarajan’s house at Anna Nagar. They were demanding implementation of RTE Act. The leaders also brought along with them some children who are the target beneficiaries of the said Act. However, most of these poor kids did not even have chappals as they stood barefoot in the heat. Perhaps sensing the discomfiture of the children, the protesters were all too eager to court arrest and be taken away.
Reporting by R. Sivaraman
