Timpany School guards bounce off worried parents

VISAKHAPATNAM: Tension prevailed at Timpany School, one of the well-known schools in the city, when the school’s private security guards allegedly threatened and abused some parents who wanted the school to allow them to give water bottles and biscuit packets to their wards answering exams inside the school premises on Thursday.
Five persons, including four security guards and Timpany School executive director David Samuel, were eventually arrested under Section 341, 323, 506 read with 34 IPC after members of the school parents association lodged a police complaint.
The private security force at the school, which largely comprised bouncers that are usually seen at bars and pubs, literally pushed some of the worried parents, who were repeatedly requesting them to let them hand over refreshments to their wards, who shockingly were asked to write two papers a day.
However, the private security guards refused to heed their pleas and pushed them out of the school premises. Bala Satish, a member of the parents association of the school, complained about the highhandedness of the school security guards to the district education office but deputy education officer R Renuka too was denied the entry into the school.
Agitated with the attitude of the guards, parents finally raised slogans and staged a sit-in protest before the police entered the scene. “The school management has been showing its arrogance time and again. This is not the first time. We are paying money to the school for our children’s betterment and not for harassment. Maybe the management thought they should finish the exams before the Samaikyandhra bandh and the prevailing unrest should not disturb studies. But this is not the way to handle things,” said M Naresh Kumar, one of the agitated parents.
Many parents complained that their wards had been stressed out due to the decision of the management to conduct two exams a day as they were scared they would flunk.
According to sources, the school management had been conducting exams since Monday but all of a sudden on Wednesday the school announced its decision to conduct two exams daily from Thursday. Many of the stressed children also developed symptoms associated with stress like vomiting after the announcement which is why some parents went to the school to request the principal to review the decision and allow them to offer refreshments to their kids but they were denied entry.
“My daughter, who is studying in seventh standard has been weeping since Wednesday as she feels she will fail in the exams as she was not able to prepare for two exams in a day. Likewise, many other parents called me up and said their wards were depressed and complaining of illness,” Bala Satish said.
Bala Satish eventually called the police when he was denied entry to meet the principal. The cops reached the school and requested the security guards to allow them to meet the school management but the guards did not budge and even forcibly detained two media persons inside the school. The guards warned the parents of dire consequences if they tried to enter the school.
After learning this, assistant commissioner of police (ACP) DN Mahesh and his team entered the school premises and took four security guards into custody. The parents association is now trying to hold discussions with the school management over the two exams a day.