CHENNAI: Following the viral video of a five-year-old girl showing the sad state of her school in Mogappair that was used as a polling booth for the Lok Sabha elections, education officials and the councillor of ward 92 allegedly threatened the child’s parents, school management committee chairman, and an educationist associated with the institution for bringing the issue to light.
The school authorities had earlier demanded to ensure the institutions and its premises remain clean and undamaged after being used as polling booths. After the polling day, a video surfaced featuring Ahimsa, a UKG student of Mogappair Primary School, who expressed concern over the condition of her school. The video displayed images of litter strewn across the campus and broken slabs in a classroom.
Ramya Bala, the child’s mother, said, “The classroom with broken slabs belongs to my child and she was distressed by it. Thus, we recorded and shared a video. However, the councillor and education officials are accusing us of conspiring against the government.” She further highlighted that education officials and the councillor interrogated them about their parenting and prohibited entry into the school without permission.
Members of the School Management Committee (SMC) also alleged that education officials and the councillor convened a meeting and passed resolutions against them. “They passed resolutions forbidding SMC members from entering the school premises or asking questions. They even threatened police action,” said an SMC member.
However, education officials and councillor KV Thilagar denied the allegations. “It is true that I’ve asked parents to bring issues to my attention before flagging them on social media, I have not threatened anyone,” said the councillor.