Collector T Nishanthi and SP Amit Bardar, speaking to tribal leaders, parents, and students who stage a protest against the discontinuation of AP Tribal Welfare Residential School in Marikavalasa, in Paderu Alluri Sitharama Raju district on Thursday..
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
Parents of tribal students staged a protest at the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) office in Paderu, Alluri Sitharama Raju district on Thursday, opposing the discontinuation of the AP Tribal Welfare Residential School for boys at Marikavalasa in Visakhapatnam.The protesting parents alleged that several students studying at the residential school were abruptly transported by bus to Paderu on August 26, and after the move the parents were informed about it over the phone. The parents said that they had repeatedly requested the authorities not to shift the students, but their appeals were not considered.The parents and tribal leaders said many students from tribal areas had joined the residential school in Visakhapatnam city with the hope of receiving quality education and better opportunities. They alleged that the shifting of students, in the name of upgrading the institution into a Centre of Excellence (CoE), had caused considerable distress to the students and parents.Member of the AP Girijan Sangham P. Appala Narasa alleged that the government was playing with the future of tribal students. He said the residential school was established in 2004 with the objective of providing quality English-medium education to talented and aspiring tribal students.Superintendent of Police Amit Bardar intervened during the protest and held discussions with the agitating parents in an attempt to resolve the issue.Meanwhile, District Collector T. Nishanthi, addressing a press conference at the ITDA office in Paderu on Thursday, said that the Tribal Welfare Residential School at Marikavalasa was being developed as a Centre of Excellence.She said parent-teacher meetings had been conducted with students and their parents, during which the proposed upgradation of the institution and the options available to the students were explained.According to the Collector, 225 students would be accommodated at the School of Excellence at Marikavalasa, while another 135 students had been given the option to continue their education at Schools of Excellence at Krishnapuram, G. Madugula, Sabbavaram, Gummakota, Peddabayalu, Devarapalli, Koyyuru and other locations, depending on the parental preference. “Students who have already joined the respective schools are attending classes,” she said.ITDA Paderu Project Officer Aditya Varma said: “The institution currently has a capacity of 360 students, and it would be increased to 600 under the proposed CoE. “The expansion includes adequate classroom space, laboratories and other modern infrastructure. The proposed CoE would be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities aimed at providing quality education to tribal students from ASR district. Published - August 27, 2026 08:16 pm IST
