Wednesday, January 4 2006 14:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: Opposing 'commercialisition' of education, Communist Party of India (CPI) has demanded stepping up of state spending in the sector so that drop out cases could be brought down.

Addressing a student rally here late last night, CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said only if the state funding was increased, the commercialisation of education could be put to an end.

He said despite Kothari Commission's recommendation that six per cent of the Gross Domestic Product be spend on education, it was unfortunate successive governments at the Center have earmarked only less than a three per cent for the sector.

The poor has been denied access even to primary education as it had become 'a commodity', resulting in phenomenal increase in drop outs, he said.

Earlier, eminent personalities with the noble aim of spreading education had started schools but now they were being run by politically influential persons who invested in the field with profit motive.

"This has denied access to the poor in education," he said.

Bardhan called upon the students to keep themselves abreast of the political developments in the country as they will be manning the nation in future.