DMK chief slams Centre for ignoring state on school scheme

CHENNAI: Describing the HRD Ministry's Model School Scheme initiative as yet another instance of Centre's interference in state rights, DMK president M Karunanidhi today asked the Tamil Nadu government to take up the matter with the Centre.

The scheme envisages setting up 2500 model schools under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode in educationally backward blocks in the country.

With Union HRD Ministry inviting proposals from interested private entities, state government had been completely ignored in this issue, he said in a letter to partymen.

By not consulting the state government or taking it into confidence, Centre had set a "wrong precedence" by allowing privatisation of education, he alleged.

While there has been opposition to this proposal including from section of academicians, the state government remained mum which, he said, was "puzzling."

"Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (Jayalalithaa) rushed into criticising Centre's Food Security Bill initiative without taking into account explanation by many that it will not affect Tamil Nadu... but there has been no opposition from the government to a project that will affect the state," he said.

He said Tamil Nadu government should through appropriate channels convey its opposition to Centre against the initiative, besides seeking assistance from the Union government to set up such schools in the state.