HP HC seeks govt's stand on students' plea alleging breach of right to education

The Himachal Pradesh High Court today asked the state government to explain its stand on a plea by the students of a school alleging breach of their Fundamental Right of Education due to non-availability of the teachers and other staffers there.

Taking up the students' plea as a public interest litigation, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Sandeep Sharma asked the principal secretary (Education) to apprise it of the state of affairs in the government schools across the state.

It asked the officer to file an affidavit detailing the number of schools in various districts, the number of sanctioned and vacant posts for the teachers and other staffers there and if the government has made any requisition to the state's Staff Selection Commission for filling up those vacancies.

The court also asked the government to indicate the time limit by which it would fill those vacancies, and slated the matter for further hearing on September 12.

The bench issued the order on a plea by the students of the Government Senior Secondary School at Doghari in Mandi, alleging non-availability of proper staff and teachers in the school.

The students had alleged that most of the posts of the teachers and other staffers in their school were lying vacant since long due to which they were being deprived of their Fundamental Right of Education.

They students said they had no mathematics teacher in the school for the last 11 years and no science teachers for the last three years.

They said due to scarcity of the maths and science graduates in a radius of 20 kms around the school, even their principal has failed to engage a maths or science teacher through the school management committee.

The students said in their plea that many of them have to cross several hilly streams and rivers in boats to come to the school, exposing themselves to grave dangers, but the authorities have paid scant regards to their plight.