HC okays promotion of teachers based on medium of instruction

Observing that "it would be ridiculous to promote a teacher who does not know a particular language as the headmaster/assistant headmaster of that particular school," the Bombay High Court rejected a petition seeking a common seniority list for BMC teachers, rather than promoting teachers based on language or medium-wise seniority list. A division bench of Justice SC Dharmadhikari and Justice BP Colabawala turned down a petition by Mahapalika Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh, a trade union of school teachers working under BMC.

HC said, "If a common seniority list is allowed, it could create a situation whereby an English medium teacher will become the headmaster or headmistress of an Urdu medium school, and who may not know the said language. This will lead to an anomalous result whereby the teacher will be a principal of a school teaching in a language that she does not know."

Advocate Pooja Yadav, appearing for BMC, opposed the plea. "Nowhere does the Secondary Schools Code or the rules framed thereunder mandate the creation of a common seniority list or prohibit the preparation of a language-wise seniority list."