Guj HC seeks reply from govt on vacancies in Urdu schools

The Gujarat High Court today issued a notice to the state government on a public interest litigation seeking appointment of primary teachers, particularly in Urdu-medium schools in the city.
The division bench of Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala also directed the Education Secretary, Director of Primary Education and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to file replies by September 12.
Mohammad Ansari, the petitioner, contends the primary class students of municipal Urdu-medium schools in the city were deprived of their fundamental right of education in the absence of sufficient number of teachers, as required under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.

"In the city of Ahmedabad, there are 83 schools imparting education to lower and upper primary students in Urdu medium...To the total of 20,479 students. Total sanctioned strength of teachers is 633, whereas the actual number of teachers is 483. Thus, there is a shortfall of 150 teachers," the petition says.
"On the one hand, a large number of children are being admitted in various schools across the state by organising admission fairs (Shala Praveshotsav), but the required number of teachers are not appointed. As a result, the children are sitting in schools without teachers," it adds.