Blind teacher alleges discrimination against HM in Kodambakkam govt school

CHENNAI: Forty-six-year-old E Prakash, a blind Chennai government school teacher, has alleged discrimination at the hands of the school headmistress (HM) since she took charge of the position in March 2024.

Prakash has worked as a postgraduate assistant (English) at PCKG Government Higher Secondary School in Kodambakkam for the past two years. He was transferred from Vellore, where he overall has 19 years’ tenure, working in two government schools.

But, speaking to DT Next, Prakash alleged he never faced any sort of discrimination for his condition, until the current HM took over.

“Within ten days of taking charge in March, HM wrote a letter to the then Chief Education Officer (CEO) to transfer all five blind teachers from the Kodambakkam school. The transfer for teachers was sought citing failure to show results in board exams,” said Prakash.

Subsequently, Prakash alleged that in May last year, the HM wrote another letter to the CEO stating she had appointed a second person to the seniority list bypassing him due to his blindness.

“As the news of depriving me of promotion to assistant HM was reported by the media, HM Malathi was forced to give me the position. But, since I have taken over the post, I am being side-lined and patronised,” said Prakash.

Prakash says he was told to carry out jobs which are difficult considering his condition.

Despite his taking this and various issues against blind teachers to the Commissionerate for Welfare of the Differently Abled and Department of School Education, he alleged no right action has been taken by these departments.

Responding to the allegation, the government school HM said, “I had not discriminated against the teachers based on their condition whatsoever. And, in the case of Prakash, he is unable to fulfil the duties of assistant HM and nearly five postgraduate teachers are forced to do his job.”

Reasoning why Malathi wrote a letter to the CEO requesting to transfer all five blind teachers from the school, she added, “I was informed and also observed that most blind teachers in the school were not going to classes regularly. Also, Prakash, himself claimed that he was unable to control the students in the class.”

The HM further went on to add that Prakash is being instigated by others. “In May 2024, I requested Prakash to take over the assistant HM position. Though he did not get back.”