TRICHY: Parents and residents of Uppiliyapuram in Tiruchy voiced discontent after a century-old government middle school in Alathudaiyanpatti was declared a local holiday to host the “Ungaludan Stalin” grievance camp on Tuesday.
The camp, organised under the state government’s flagship programme, aims to hear complaints and resolve issues related to welfare schemes and basic amenities. However, the decision to suspend classes for more than a hundred students of the Alathudaiyanpatti Panchayat Union Middle School under Uppiliyapuram block drew criticism from the local community, who said education hours should not be compromised.
"This is nothing but a misuse of school premises. The government claims to prioritise education, but children’s learning hours are being sacrificed for political optics. Venues like community halls or makeshift tents could have been used instead," said Ibrahim, a CPI functionary in Tiruchy.
Block-level officials said they had informed higher authorities and sought permission to declare a local holiday, though formal approval was not obtained.
Sources in the Musiri District Education block confirmed this, admitting, "They did not get formal permission, but due to last-minute pressure, we had to declare the holiday."
Sources in the School Education Department said the school would make up for the lost day by functioning on Saturday. They noted that in the past, similar proposals were turned down at several blocks to prevent disruption of academic schedules and assured that they would review how this decision was made.
When questioned why alternative venues were not considered, officials maintained that the school campus was chosen because it provided better access to the public and basic facilities. Ironically, they added that the decision was taken to avoid disturbing students, arguing that a crowd on campus during class hours would have been more disruptive.
Residents, however, remain unconvinced. Parents said children lost valuable class hours and stressed that government programmes should support education, not hinder it. "If the government can build stages for political rallies, why not arrange proper venues for official programmes?" asked a parent.
District Collector V. Saravanan, when contacted by the TNIE, assured that he would look into the matter.