Kancheepuram govt school students taken to attend CM’s birthday event, triggers row

CHENNAI: The students of a Panchayat Union Middle School near Kancheepuram were allegedly taken out of their classrooms during school hours and made to attend a birthday celebration organised for Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, drawing criticism from parents and social activists.

The incident took place at the Panchayat Union Middle School in JJ Nagar near Kancheepuram on Monday. Around 40 students were taken from the school while classes were in progress and transported to a venue about one km away, where the birthday event was being held.

As many as 16 to 18 students were packed into a single share auto and taken to the venue without obtaining prior permission, alleged parents, adding that safety norms were violated and that the students’ academic time was wasted for more than an hour.

Sources said notebooks, pencils, and food were distributed to the students during the event. However, parents and activists questioned whether school students should be taken out of classrooms to attend a political function, even if welfare assistance was being distributed.

The issue gained further attention after the CCTV footage of the incident surfaced on social media, showing students leaving the school premises and travelling to the event venue in autos.

After the issue became a controversy, the public demanded an inquiry into the incident and sought action against those responsible. They also sought action against school authorities and teachers for allowing students to be taken off campus without parental consent.

If welfare assistance had to be distributed to students, it could have been done through the school administration during break time without affecting classes, said a parent.

The parents urged the authorities to ensure that students' academic activities are not disrupted for political programmes.