Dismayed by a submission by the Directorate of Education (DoE) stating that it does not have any concrete data on the number of students enrolled in government aided schools or the number of teachers required, the Delhi High Court (HC) has rapped the Education department stating that the DoE had not been discharging its duty.

In an affidavit submitted to the court on the plea of a school teacher, the DoE stated that it had not issued any directions for fixing posts of teachers in any aided school after 2009-10. According to the rules, government aided schools have to inform the DoE about the number of students enrolled in their schools, after which the DoE initiates the process of fixing posts of teachers.

However, since 2010, no norms have been issued by the department. As a result, no new appointments or re-employment of teachers has been carried out. “The absence of norms fixed by the Directorate of Education over the past few years is an absolutely unacceptable position,” the court of Justice Hima Kohli said.

The court also noted that the DoE “has not been discharging its duty” and directed the Director of Education to collect the data and file an affidavit within four weeks, with details of number of government aided schools, number of students enrolled in the schools and the number of teaching faculty since 2009-10.