Ensure no scarcity of teachers in primary schools for visually impaired students: HC to Delhi govt
The Delhi High Court recently directed the Delhi government’s education department to ensure that there is no scarcity of teachers in primary schools meant for visually impaired students.
A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad in a January 20 order said that all possible efforts must be made by the Delhi government to ensure that teachers are permitted to continue in such schools till the current academic session, and that students do not suffer due to the unavailability of teachers.
Director (social welfare) & director (education) of the state government are directed to ensure strict compliance with the order keeping in view the fact that the examinations are going to be held in the month of March,” the HC said.
The HC was hearing a plea moved by the National Federation for Blind in 2018 on the lack of facilities and vacancy of teaching staff in the Government Senior Secondary School for Boys (Blind) in North Delhi’s Kingsway Camp.
Appearing for the federation, senior advocate S K Rungta said that pursuant to a December 12, 2022 order of the HC, Delhi government’s director of social welfare had cooperated in ensuring that specially-abled children are provided with all basic amenities, and most of the issues which were within the powers of the director had been resolved.
Rungta, however, said that the decision on the taking over of the schools by the education department had not yet been taken and, the “respondents be directed to expedite the process”.
Rungta informed the HC that about five post-graduate teachers (PGTs) were posted for different subjects to teach visually impaired students, however, they had been withdrawn by the education department. In view of the upcoming examinations, he submitted that the director (education) of the Delhi government be directed to ensure that till the examinations are over, the teachers who have been recalled be permitted to continue in the schools meant for visually impaired students.
He also said there is a scarcity of teachers for visually impaired students in primary schools, thus the director of education be directed to ensure that teachers are provided.
The HC noted that the prayer was genuine, and said, “Director (education) of the state government is directed to ensure that there is no scarcity of teachers in schools meant for visually impaired students and to make all possible efforts to ensure that the teachers are permitted to continue in the schools in question till the academic session is over and the students do not suffer because of unavailability of teachers.”
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/scarcity-teachers-primary-school-visually-impaired-students-hc-delhi-8406668/