Visakhapatnam: Worried about future, parents, students stage a rasta roko

Visakhapatnam: A large number of parents and students staged a protest in Visakhapatnam on Monday against the closure of Sacred Heart Girls Aided High School in Gnanapuram.

Worried over their wards' future, parents expressed their helplessness as the school management decided to close the aided schools due to stopping of government aid and directions to surrender the teach staff to the government. The school with a history of three decades witnessed enrolment from Gnanapuram, Kancharapalem, Poorna Market, Railway New Colony, ITI Junction and surrounding localities. The school management recently informed the parents to apply for a transfer certificate and get admitted into other schools.

The school management urged the parents to get the TC by November 1. With this, the parents took to the streets to express their worry over the decision made by the school management.

The protesters staged a 'rasta roko', squatting on the road, bringing traffic to a standstill.

Meanwhile, Visakhapatnam South MLA Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar tried to convince the parents. The MLA said the issue will be brought to the notice of the government.

The government's proposal to halt the aid provided to the aided schools is drawing criticism from various quarters. Parents said that the future of the wards studying in aided schools has become uncertain.