Continue to employ blind teacher, school told

CHENNAI: A government-aided minority school in Sirkazhi in Nagapattinam district has been directed by the Madras High Court to continue to employ a teacher, who completely lost her vision in August last year, by permitting her to have a member from the PTA as assistant to discharge her duties.Justice D Hariparanthaman, who gave the direction to Lutheran Mission Central Higher Secondary School while disposing of a writ petition from Malliga Janet, also directed the authorities concerned to pay the salary due to her from July this year. After putting in over 20 years of service in the school, Janet became blind. She employed a member of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA)to assist her in discharging her duties. She also produced good results from 1999 and her services were recognised and appreciated by all. While so, the school management discontinued her service on the ground that she could not discharge her duties on account of the disability.Coming to her rescue, the judge pointed out that the visual disability had not disqualified her in the discharge of her duties.The medical certificate produced by her did not say that she was not suitable for the teaching job.