The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Tamil Nadu Education Department to form special teams to identify government school teachers involved in private tuition or running private businesses.
The HC was hearing a plea filed by a secondary grade teacher in the panchayat union middle school in Thanjavur district, seeking direction to consider her transfer to a school that is within a 30km radius of the school where her husband is working. This was sought under a government order passed by the Education Department in 2021, under the spouse category.
While rejecting the petition, the HC issued a slew of directions to prevent teachers from flouting the Tamil Nadu Government Servants (Conditions of Service) Act, 2016 and Service Rules.
“The teaching community is concentrating to satisfy their self-needs, thereby neutralising the duties and responsibilities. They are fighting only for their rights… But, the time has now come for the Courts for emphasis [sic] the duties to be performed by these Teachers and citizen in general,” Justice S M Subramaniam said.
“Rights and duties are corresponding. When a Teacher claims a right, equally the performance of duties is to be emphasised. But, the trend is that the duties are not considered as important. Such a mind-set at no circumstances is tolerable.”
The court added that once teachers managed to get an interim order of stay, they continued staying in the same place for several years, which was detrimental to the rights of other employees and public administration.
Justice Subramaniam also observed that teachers’ associations in the state were illegally interfering in the affairs of the Education Department.
The court said common telephone or mobile numbers must be provided by school education departments for parents and students to file complaints regarding illegalities, irregularities and misconducts by teachers both inside and outside schools.