Activists of the Andhra Pradesh unit of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) were arrested by the police, who foiled their protest at the Intermediate Board office on Wednesday.
The SFI activists, led by their State president K. Prasanna Kumar and A. Ashok, staged a dharna at the Intermediate Board office demanding immediate steps to fill the vacant teacher posts in junior colleges across the State, free distribution of textbooks to students and implementation of the Mid-Day Meal scheme in junior colleges.
More than 45 activists, along with their leaders, were arrested and shifted to the police station.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Prasanna Kumar and Mr. Ashok said the Intermediate students had not received their textbooks even after 47 days of the commencement of their classes.
They said, citing allocation of funds for Amma Vodi, students were being deprived of free textbooks.
The federation leaders said more than 3,000 teacher posts were lying vacant, and added that junior colleges in the State had recorded pass percentage of as low as 36 due to shortage of teaching staff and absence of textbooks in the previous academic year.
They said, out of the 474 junior colleges, 250 were being run without principals, while 26 districts did not have permanent Regional Inspection Officers, and there was a shortage of 13 Deputy Education Officers.
They said, in the absence of teaching and administrative staff, Intermediate education in the State was reduced to a mere formality.
They also demanded revival of the Mid-Day Meal scheme in the junior colleges.
The federation leaders slammed the police for using force to foil their “peaceful protest.” Finding fault with the police for preventing them from giving a representation to the officials, they said this was anti-democratic and should be condemned.
Federation’s State assistant secretaries Paramesh and Ch. Venkateswara Rao, State committee members M. Someswara Rao, Suribabu, Sai, Harish, Vanitha, Balaji, Yagnavi, Jyothi, Ratna Kumari and others participated in the protest.
