Chennai: Members of any political party or a private organisation will henceforth not be permitted to interact directly with students inside school campuses during class hours, said minister Rajmohan in a statement on Thursday. School education department will soon release comprehensive guidelines for the same, he said.The statement, however, does not clarify who falls under the ambit of ‘party person’ and whether ministers or MLAs can interact with students during inspections. Rajmohan was unavailable for comments.The remarks come in the backdrop of industries minister Keerthana facing backlash after asking a student to converse in English at a school in Virudhunagar. On Wednesday, Rajmohan had defended Keerthana’s actions, stating that she had behaved like an “elder” sister.Stressing that school campuses should remain centres of knowledge, awareness and thoughtful learning, he added, “Ensuring that students remain focused on learning and that teachers can carry out their teaching without interruption is our foremost responsibility.”
