I didn't mean to insult private schools, says Kadiam Srihari

WARANGAL: Deputy Chief Minister and education minister Kadiam Srihari on Wednesday clarified that he did not mean to insult private schools after his recent comments irked school managements and led to protests.

Mr Srihari had asked the villagers to send their children only to government schools and suggested that they remove air from the tyres of private school buses if they enter their village.

He was speaking at a function at Ramanujapur in Venaktapur mandal of Jayashankar Bhupalapalli district on Saturday. Private school managements, including the Warangal District Un-Aided Private Schools Association, did not take his comments kindly, and started protests. Following the outcry, the minister released a statement saying he did not mean to offend private schools.

“The state government is not against private schools. I was appealing to the villagers of Ramanujapur to revive the dwindling status of the government school in the village. My comment asking the villagers to deflate the tyres of private school buses if they enter the village was not not meant to oppose private schools,” the statement said.

“Private school managements need not worry about it. As education minister I will extend my complete support to them,” he said. The private and government schools are like two eyes of the education system, Mr Srihari added.