School stops agriculture course for Class 12, sparks protest

The Government Higher Secondary School, Acharapakkam, in Kancheepuram district had stopped ‘agriculture group’ for Class 11 and 12 from the last academic year. The group was stopped after the retirement of a teacher who handled the subject. 

The matter came to light on Monday when a group of 30 former students of the school staged an agitation seeking reinstatement of the agriculture group at the school. The police arrested them when they staged a road roko on GST Road seeking filling up of the vacancy of agriculture teacher in the school. The authorities had said last year that they would restart the group this academic year. This year too, the group was not started. 

This school was among the government institutions which had the agriculture group apart from science and commerce streams. 

Following demand for the group, the authorities had announced that the option would be open in the 2018-19 academic year. 

Sources said the group was in demand among students from nearby villages who were from an agriculture background. The school had a number of agricultural tools, implements and equipment as teaching aids for the course.