Parents protest decision to raze down school building

COIMBATORE: A group of people with their children, who were studying in the Arya Vaiysa Middle School on Vysial Street, launched a protest in front of the school on Wednesday against the school trust’s decision to demolish the school building. They were compelled by the trust authorities to take transfer certificates (TCs) for their children and shift them to other schools, the protesters alleged.
At the parents-teachers meeting on March 5, the trustees of the Arya Vysya Samajam, which owns the land on which the government-aided school functions, asked them to get TCs and shift their children to other schools, the protesters said. “We were given letters bearing statement of consent for the trust’s move and were asked to sign them. Those who had not attended the meeting were asked to come to the school and collect the letters,” a parent said.

“The trust members said they had obtained a high court order to raze down the building as it was old and posed a danger to the students,” said S Buvaneswari, a parent. “But, why couldn’t they wait till the annual exams are over? How could we admit our kids in other schools with just a month more to go for the exams?” she said.

The protesters, however, said the care given to the students was better than any other school. “Our children not only get good education, but we have noticed them develop good character compared to children in other schools, thanks to the teachers. We want our children to continue in the same school,” said TK Saraswati, another parent.

Meanwhile, teachers at the school said they had issued letters to the parents following a court order. “We were concerned that it would become contempt of court if we didn’t communicate it to the parents. Now, the parents think we are forcing them to take TCs,” a teacher said.

Following the protest, the trust members and parents held a meeting in the presence of education department officials on Wednesday. Amid heated arguments, it was decided that the students would be allowed to continue in the school till the end of the academic year. “We have decided that the students would be allowed to continue in the school till they finish their exams. We will then raze down the school and build a new school building,” secretary of the trust Karpagam Ramadas said.