Two months into the academic year, Kerala school students still await menstrual leave notification

Thrissur: The Kerala government's decision to grant school students three days of menstrual leave per month is yet to be formalised through an official order, delaying its implementation.

The proposal, announced in the policy address by CM V.D. Satheesan, was widely welcomed by the student community. Alongside the leave, the government had also proposed special academic support to help students make up for classes missed during their absence.

However, more than two months after schools reopened, the government has not issued the necessary order, leaving students unable to avail of the benefit.

In the meantime, there have been growing calls for the government to focus on improving menstrual hygiene facilities in schools instead of introducing menstrual leave.

Concerns have also been raised over the feasibility of providing compensatory academic support. The proposal envisages weekend classes to ensure students who take menstrual leave do not fall behind in their studies. However, education experts argue that such an arrangement is impractical, as teachers would be required to work on Saturdays in addition to their regular schedules.

Students who avail of the full three days of leave each month could miss nearly 30 school days in an academic year. Even if online classes are considered as an alternative, teachers would still have to devote additional time outside regular working hours.

There is also a lack of clarity on several aspects of the proposal, including the procedure for applying for menstrual leave and how it would be administered by schools.