Allow aided-school kids to avail govt benefits: Teachers

TIRUCHY: Teachers from aided schools in Nagapattinam urged the State government on Saturday to extend benefits including the breakfast scheme given in government schools, to aided schools as well.

There are around 54 lakh students studying in government schools while 29 lakh students study via aided schools across the State. Both schools cater to free education and most students are from the economically weaker section.

“Earlier, benefits like free books, uniforms, bicycles and laptops that are given to government school, were also given to students in aided schools. But recently, these benefits were stopped for students in aided schools, and no reason was given,” teachers said.

They added that students from aided schools were not given benefits like reservation in medical and engineering admissions.

“In the recently completed Chess Olympiad, only government school students were allowed to participate,” they rued. “The recently launched breakfast scheme has not been extended to aided schools.”

The teachers, led by the headmistress Vijayabharathi, submitted a petition with their demands to the Nagapattinam MLA J Mohamed Shanavas. They appealed to the government to consider their request.