Ensure Visually Impaired Students Don't Suffer Due To Unavailability Of Teachers: Delhi High Court To Director Education

The Delhi High Court has directed Delhi Government’s Director of Education 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 also said that all possible efforts must be made to ensure that teachers are permitted to continue in such schools till the current academic session is over and the students do not suffer due to unavailability of teachers.

“Director (Social Welfare) & Director (Education) of the State Government are directed to ensure strict compliance of the order keeping in view the fact that the examinations are going to be held in the month of March,” the court said.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation moved by National Federation of the Blind in 2018 highlighting lack of facilities and vacancy of teaching staff in Government Senior Secondary School for Boys (Blind) in North Delhi's Kingsway Camp.

The counsel appearing for petitioner submitted that pursuant to order passed on December 12, 2022, Delhi Government’s Director of Social Welfare was cooperative in ensuring that specially-abled children are provided with all basic amenities and that most of the issues which were within the Director’s powers were resolved.

However, the counsel prayed that the authorities be directed to expedite the process of taking over of the schools in question by education department.

The court was informed that about five Post Graduate Teachers (PGTs) were posted for different subjects to teach visually impaired students, however, they were withdrawn by the education department.

Therefore, the counsel prayed that the Director of Education be directed to ensure that till the examinations are over, teachers are permitted to continue in schools.

It was also submitted that there is a scarcity of teachers for visually impaired students in primary schools and thus the Director of Education be directed to ensure that teachers are provided to teach such students.

Observing that the prayed made by the petitioner’s counsel is genuine, the bench directed:

“Director (Education) of the State Government is directed to ensure that there is no scarcity of teachers in the 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.”

While listing the matter for hearing on February 17, the bench said that it is expected that the process of taking over of schools by the Department of Education will be completed by the concerned authorities by the next date of hearing.

Title: NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND v. GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS

Citation: 2023 LiveLaw (Del) 87

Click Here To Read Order