MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Friday has sought the State government’s response on a petition filed against a circular imposing a condition that only schools that have 150 girl students in sewing class would be granted approval for sewing teacher appointment.
The petition was filed in 2011 by an aided middle school in Udangudi panchayat in Thoothukudi which sought direction to the Elementary Education authorities to approve the appointment of a sewing teacher, as the application for the same has been put on hold since 2008.
According to the petitioner school, the Assistant Elementary Educational Officer of Thoothukudi had refused to grant approval for the appointment in 2008 citing a circular, said to have been issued by the Director of School Education in 2006, stating that, in order for an approval, the school should have at least 150 girl students in the said class.
The counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that nearly 130 students (girls and boys) were learning sewing in their school and that the action of the authorities “rejecting their applications citing insufficient number of girl students” was illogical. It might create a gender stereotype that sewing is a profession for woman, he argued.
Moreover, rural children who happen to discontinue their studies after primary schooling would be able to earn a livelihood through sewing, he pointed out. Hearing the submissions, Justice SM Subramaniam directed the education department to respond to the plea in a week.