EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Vs. P S SARANYA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The point that arises for decision in this case is whether this Court can order to scrap the existing scheme of Computer Education in schools, for the reason that, according to its perspective, the present scheme will not deliver the goods and order to frame a better scheme; and also to direct creation of sufficient teaching posts to implement the new scheme.

(2.) The brief facts of the case are the following: The respondents in the writ petition are the appellants. The writ petition was filed by the respondent herein, who was a student studying in the 8th standard of G.V. Higher Secondary School, Desamangalam, Thrissur, seeking a direction to the appellants not to make Information Technology a compulsory subject for the examinations in the High Schools for the year 2008 or thereafter. She also prayed that a direction may be issued to the appellants to make the said subject optional in the High School. There was a further prayer to direct the appellants to create adequate posts of teachers in High Schools and prescribe qualifications for such posts, for imparting training to the students in the subject Information Technology. Other incidental reliefs were also sought. According to the petitioner, there are no qualified teachers in the High Schools to teach the subject Information Technology. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to create sufficient posts and prescribe qualifications for the same, so that the said subject is taught by qualified hands.

(3.) The 2nd appellant, Director of Public Instructions, filed a counter affidavit resisting the prayers in the writ petition. According to the 2nd appellant, the scheme of computer education in the schools, called 'I.T. @ Schools', was meant to impart computer literacy to the students. The teachers are given training in the subject by master trainers, so that they can learn and teach their subjects better. The students were also given exposure in the subject of Information Technology to enable them to learn different subjects taught in the school better, using Information Technology as a tool It was not meant to make them computer experts, it was submitted.