Students oppose cluster schools idea

Stage dharna at education officers meet venue

Vijayawada: Activists of the Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU) staged a dharna at the venue of the State-level primary and secondary educational officers meeting held in the city on Monday against the move to set up cluster schools in selected mandals in the State.

Speaking on the occasion, PDSU State president Ravi Chandra demanded that Human Resource Development Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao to give up the move as it would be detrimental to rural students. The establishment of cluster schools would affect the teacher recruitment in primary and secondary schools. The Telugu Desam Government’s move would largely benefit the corporate schools and private educational institutions, he said.

The PDSU leader said about 30 per cent of primary schools in the State got only one teacher. The dropout rate at the primary level was quite high due to poor educational standards. Hence, a student teacher ratio of 20:1 should be maintained to provide quality education to students. A headmaster should also be appointed for schools with the strength of more than 100 students, he said.

Mild tension prevailed at the venue when the PDSU activists tried to barge into the meeting hall. The police used force to prevent the student activists, which resulted in a minor scuffle between them. The police arrested some student leaders and brought the situation under control.