Chennai: Members of Communist Party of India (M) led by state secretary G. Ramakrishnan picketed the corporation building on Wednesday, protesting against the closure of some corporation schools and demanding basic amenities in others. They were arrested and released later in the evening. Party state secretary G. Ramakrishnan, who led the protest, said, “At a time when the number of schools should be increased, the local body closed about 50 schools.”

Chennai, with its 1-crore population, has only around 98,800 children studying in corporation schools. The protesters demanded that the local body open more pre-schools. The corporation runs 30 pre-schools, 122 primary schools, 92 middle schools, 38 high schools and 32 higher secondary schools. Also, these schools had 168 teachers’ posts lying vacant in English, science, mathematics and physical education.

According to corporation officials spoken to, “The closure of schools took place prior to 2009. This was done as the number of students had fallen.” The local body allots 2.5 per cent of its budget to the education wing. The corporation spent around Rs18 crore this year on the schools, most part of this amount being spent on improving and maintaining the basic amenities in the schools. The officials added that the demand was not for more pre-schools, but for high schools.

They did have plans afoot to upgrade some middle schools to high schools. Other demands by the CPI (M) members included, revoking the public-private partnership and providing breakfast and evening tiffin to children from the lower economic sections.