Madras HC notifies TN govt of plea filed by 723 special educators

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court issued notice to the State in a petition moved by 723 special educators working in various government schools across Tamil Nadu seeking regularisation of employment as per the guidelines of Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI)

Justice CV Karthikeyan directed the School Education Department, Welfare of the Differently Abled Persons department and director of Samagra Siksha programme to file instructions regarding the petition and posted the matter to April 21 for further submission.

The judge also made it clear that the State should view it positively as the preferred petition was not adverse in nature.

Advocate N Kavitha Rameshwar, on behalf of the petitioners, submitted that nearly 1.30 lakh children with special needs are studying in various government schools for inclusive education as per the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. “However, only 1,800 special educators are in service to teach children, and they too were appointed under contract basis, which is against the recommendations of the RCI guidelines,” she said.

It was also alleged that the RCI had recommended to appoint special educators in the ratio of 1:10 (teacher-pupil) in primary education and 1:15 in middle and secondary schools. “But the State government had not appointed even one special educator in the sanctioned post and roped them as contract workers with consolidated pay of meagre salary,” added Kavitha.

She submitted that the Apex court had already directed State governments to follow the RCI guidelines. “However, the State refuses to regularise special educators, including the petitioners, who have been working for more than 20 years,” she pointed out, and sought the court's direction to create adequate sanctioned posts and regularise the employment of special educators in line with the RCI’s recommendations.