Palli Kalvi Pathukappu Iyakkam releases education recommendations

CHENNAI: The Palli Kalvi Pathukappu Iyakkam on Wednesday released a set of education recommendations for political parties to include in the manifestos ahead of the general elections.
Speaking at the launch, PKPI president and renowned educationalist V Vasanthi Devi urged parties to bring educational reforms and asked the public to vote for a party only if they give enough importance to education.

“Political parties will give importance to education only if voters demand them. So reforms can only start from the public,” she said, urging the public not to lose hope if there aren’t immediate results. 
Some of the key recommendations include curbing domination of the private sector in school education, raising standard of teachers in government schools through monitoring and making schools on par with private education. 

“Private schools are not checked for RTE Act violations. If they are monitored closely and punished, around 70 percent of schools will be closed,” alleged Vasanthi Devi, claiming that authorities are willingly blind to violations. 

She also urged governments to implement the ruling of the Allahabad High Court which recommended that wards of all government employees must be admitted in government schools. “This will ensure that a significant amount of money is diverted toward the education sector by bureaucrats because their own children will be studying in government schools,” she said.

J Krishnamurthy, general secretary of the PKPI, pushed for State autonomy when it comes to education.