Scores of schoolchildren, along with their parents, launched protests in Vizianagaram district on Tuesday against the State government’s decision to merge primary schools having low student strength with nearby high schools.
With the support of opposition leaders, the students and their parents agitated for continuation of the primary schools. Gajularega corporator K. Radhamani said that children aged below eight were being forced to travel long distances to go to school, in some cases having to cross railway lines, due to the shifting of Classes III to V of Model School located at BTR Colony.
Ms. Radhamani said that the government’s decision was putting children in harm’s way as they had to now walk to school on busy roads carrying their heavy bags.
Telugu Nadu Students’ Federation district president P. Taraka Ramanaidu and TSNF general secretary M. Bhanuprakash criticised the State government’s decision saying it was putting the lives of children at risk. Parents from Jammu village said that they would continue their protest against the merger of the Jammu Zilla Parishad School with nearby high schools. They staged a rasta roko on the Vizianagaram-Srikakulam road demanding the rollback of the merger.
