Can't force deputy wardens to work 365 days at schools for differently-abled: Madras HC
Justice N Anand Venkatesh wrote that the government must show more sensitivity as a single deputy warden cannot be made to handle a large group of differently-abled children continuously without breaks.
Madras High Court (File)
CHENNAI: Observing that the State government must display higher levels of sensitivity in addressing the issue of the poor number of wardens in schools for differently-abled, the Madras High Court issued directions to conceive a policy decision to fix the ratio between deputy wardens and children they had to handle.
The court ordered the appointment of sufficient deputy wardens to take care of the children.
Justice N Anand Venkatesh wrote that a single deputy warden cannot be made to handle a large group of differently-abled children, that too for long periods. The judge was hearing the petition of a deputy warden who was tasked with handling additional students without being given a break.
"If a deputy warden is made to stay with the children for all 365 days without a break, it will result in mental fatigue and will have its own consequences on the person. The deputy wardens should also be given leave like all other teachers by appointing an alternate person to take care of the children," the judge wrote, and directed the State to appoint sufficient deputy wardens.
The judge also directed the State to file a report in this regard and the case was posted to October 24 for further proceedings.
The petitioner B Kayathri, deputy warden of a government high school for the visually impaired in Pudukkottai, had moved the plea to quash the proceedings of the Directorate For Welfare of the differently Abled directing her to take on additional students. She also sought for directions to allow her to avail of government holidays.
According to the petitioner, since a faculty member who was looking after visually impaired students was transferred to another school, the petitioner was asked to take on extra students, who were previously taken care of by the other teacher. Single-handedly, she was taking care of more than 80 students with physical disabilities without any break or government holiday, said the petitioner. Hence, she sought to quash the transfer proceedings and grant leave to her.
The State submitted that an additional deputy warden had been appointed to the school to take care of the students and consequential orders were also passed by relieving the petitioner from the additional charge.