Teachers's Duty Is To Impart Knowledge And Skills To Needy Students, Not Hold On To Comfortable Posting: Madras High Court

While refusing relief to a schoolteacher challenging his transfer, the Madras High Court recently observed that a teacher should focus on imparting knowledge and skills to the needy students and not hold on to comfortable posting.

Justice CV Karthikeyan further opined that the school teacher should set an example for the students and not question every administrative order.

"The object of working as a teacher is to impart knowledge and skills to needy students and not to hold on to his own comfort posting. The petitioner should also realize that he should set an example to the students and should not question each and every administrative order," the court said.

The petitioner, K Singaravelu submitted that he was appointed as BT Assistant (Geography) as per the selection test done by the Teachers Recruitment Board and was subsequently transferred to Government Girls Higher Secondary School Thiruthuraipoondi, Thiruvarur District in 2012.

Singaravelu further submitted that consequent to a Government decision to fix staff strength, it was found that he had exceeded the sanctioned strength in the school and thus was ordered to be transferred. He argued that this decision was against the Government Orders passed by State and that his current posting should not be disturbed.

He further drew the attention of the court to various Government Orders passed by the Government of Tamil Nadu in connection with the appointment of teachers and transfer of surplus teachers. 

The court however noted that the petitioner, who was surplus in the school should have been all the more willing to voluntarily accept the transfer to move to another school where his services were much more needed. 

The court also noted that the impugned order only directed the petitioner to attend the counseling for transfer and that he had the opportunity to raise objections during the counseling. It added that the petitioner could not apprehend that a particular order will be passed and should instead put forth all his objections during the counseling. 

Thus, the court was not inclined to grant any relief and dismissed the petition.

Case Title: K Singaravelu v The Government of Tamil Nadu and others

Citation: 2023 LiveLaw (Mad) 147

Counsel for the Petitioner: Mr.R.Saseetharan

Counsel for the Respondent: Mr.N.Naveen Kumar, Government Advocate