CHENNAI : After a gap of 16 years, schools in the Union Territory of Pondicherry are set to have Drawing Teachers.

Expressing its "dissatisfaction" over the non-appointment of Drawing Teachers that deprived 16 batches of school students an opportunity to learn the art of drawing, a Division Bench of the Madras High Court has asked the Territorial Administration to complete all pending Drawing Teacher appointments within three months.

The Bench, comprising Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and Justice K. Suguna, was passing orders on a writ petition from 10 candidates, who had passed SSLC and Technical Teachers Certificate (Higher Grade) in Drawing. They had challenged an alteration in the recruitment rules providing for the appointment of those holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Pondicherry University for the posts of Drawing Teachers in schools.

Even though there were several vacancies in schools, the Territorial Administration did not make any appointment to them since 1989. Due to this, the TTC-holders remained unemployed. Allowing their pleas to be considered for appointment, the Bench held that the syllabus prescribed for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree did not cope with the syllabus of teaching of drawing in schools. "It had no relevance to the teaching of drawing in the school, and thus, the persons who are holding TTC alone are eligible to teach drawing in schools."

The Judges further said: "It is held that the inclusion of the qualification of Bachelor of Fine Arts degree for the appointment of Drawing Teachers in schools is illegal and unjustified." Setting aside the amended portion of the recruitment rules and the consequential notifications, the Bench directed the Government to go ahead with the selection for the posts of Drawing Teachers only from out of candidates of TTC (higher grade) in drawing.

As for the non-appointment of Drawing Teachers for 16 years, the Judges said, "it is unfortunate that the respondents have not carried on with the selection process, even though there is no order of stay from this court restraining them from selection... We record our dissatisfaction over the PondicherryGovernment's attitude in not providing Drawing Teachers to schools for the last 16 years."

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