HC pulls up AAP govt over delay in recruiting spcl educators

The Delhi High Court today pulled up the AAP government's education department over the delay in recruiting special educators in schools run by them and the municipal corporations in the national capital.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said the matter was "certainly of grave concern" and special education for the disabled children "cannot be ignored".
"Delay in making the appointments would be prejudicial to the education of these children with special needs and severely impacting their growth and development," it said.
The bench wished to know from the Delhi Directorate of Education (DoE) about the type of education these students will be given in the absence of special teachers.

The court observed that the Delhi government had failed to get these teachers and was instead making illegal appointments of guest special educators.
The court's observation came during the hearing of a plea by a mother, filed through advocate Ashok Aggarwal, who has said that her two sons with special needs have studied at the Delhi government and municipality-run schools for years, but have learnt nothing. They were also made "a source of entertainment".

Petitioner Mamta Devi and her husband Shyam Nandan sell vegetables in Katwaria Sarai in south Delhi.
Annoyed over the issue, the bench had earlier asked the Delhi Subordinate Service Selection Board (DSSSB) to explain the delay in recruiting special educators in Delhi government and MCD-run schools.

To this, the Board today informed that currently, no recruitment of special education teacher for DoE was pending and no fresh requisition has been received from the city government.
DSSSB's counsel Naushad Ahmed Khan submitted that as and when further requisition would be received from the DoE, it would be dealt with expeditiously.
Giving details of events since 2010, the Board said the DoE had sent a requisition to it on November 4, 2010 to fill up 858 vacancies of special educators for 2010 and these were advertised in 2011 but all vacancies were later cancelled by an order of June 1, 2012.

"Therefore, there was no delay on the part of DSSSB," he said.
The Board's counsel told the court that in October 2012, it had received requisition for filling up 927 vacancies for 2013 and after advertising for it and following the selection process, 232 candidates were found suitable and recommended for appointment.
"Since no more suitable candidates were available for recommending to DoE, therefore there was no delay on the part of DSSSB," the board said.
It also said that this year, DoE has again sent a requisition for filling up 494 vacancies which was advertised on August 7 but the department sent a letter to the board on August 23, asking keeping the requisition for all vacancies in abeyance.

This prompted the Acting Chief Justice to ask the counsel for the DoE, why did they withdraw it.
It even threatened the counsel that it would call the Director DoE to explain the reason behind such step.
"Is this (special educators) not important? Why have you withdrawn it," the bench asked and directed the DoE to explain before the next date of hearing on January 23 next year, the reasons behind such step.