TN school education minister, PMK MP spar on functioning of education department

Chennai: The “dismal” state of affairs involving the present education at the state government-run schools triggered a “see-saw” battle between the School Education Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan and opposition PMK MP Anbumani Ramadoss, who accepted the gauntlet thrown down by the Minister.

Piqued over the allegations leveled by Dr Anbumani Ramadoss on the education system, Mr Sengottaiyan on Monday dared him for a debate. “Are those who heap baseless allegations on the education department willing for a debate on the subject?,” Mr. Sengottaiyan had asked. Surprisingly, Dr. Anbumani who accepted the challenge asked him to specify the place and date for the debate.

When reporters in neighbouring Kancheepuram sought the Minister’s response to Dr. Anbumani’s willingness for a debate, Mr Sengottaiyan calmly replied, “let him specify the date and place for debate.”

Even in the election manifesto for the 2016 elections, the PMK also has announced a number of programmess including free education for private school students. However, since the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK government came to power in 2011, nothing other than corruption happened in the school education department, the PMK leader has alleged.