School fee row: PMK, CPI seek TN govt's intervention

Expressing concern over developments at a city school over its alleged dual fee policy, PMK and CPI today demanded the intervention of Tamil Nadu government to ensure that students were not discriminated.
PMK leader and former Union minister Anbumani Ramadoss urged the government to take over the administration of the Bala Vidya Mandir just as it did in the case of Annamalai University in Chidambaram.
CPI state secretary R Mutharasan asked the government to intervene and find an amicable solution to ensure that there was no discrimination of students and their education was not affected.
Ramadoss in a statement said the School Fee Fixation Committee, which was enquiring into the alleged discrimination of students based on fee structure, did not have power to take any action against the school.

"Hence, to ensure education of suffering students and to end discrimination among them, government should take over the Bala Vidya Mandir School, like it took over the Annamalai University," he said.
"A special officer has to be appointed to run the school and provide education without fleecing the parents," he said.

Observing that students' education had been affected due to the issue, Mutharasan urged the government to cancel the dismissal of CEO and Principal by the school management.
"Government should intervene and ensure that the students' education does not get affected. It should find an amicable solution so that there is no discrimination among the students..," he said.

The city-based school has come under criticism for alleged discriminatory approach regarding fee structure, a charge dismissed by it as "false allegation" by "those who have sought to tarnish" its reputation.
The school management subsequently replaced Principal Srinivasa Raghavan with S Sujatha, an action that triggered protests by parents and teachers.