Representative Image
Thiruvananthapuram: The Opposition-affiliated teachers’ unions in Kerala are planning to approach Kerala High Court in the wake of state government’s reiteration that Khader committee recommendations will be implemented from next academic year.
The education department has already initiated proceedings to frame rules for the unification of high school and higher secondary sections.
Education minister on the other day assured that the unification will not impact service related matters of the teachers. But Opposition-affiliated teachers’ unions are going ahead with legal suit. Some of their major contentions are:
- The move will not only affect but also restrict creation of new vacancies. The government aims an undeclared ceasing of appointments for reducing salary spending. The teacher post is likely to decline by at least 20 per cent
- Headmaster/headmistress whose post has been tweaked as vice-principal will have responsibilities including academic matters. The person will be in charge of supervising higher secondary teachers. However, the educational qualification required for the vice-principal is problematic. The person only needs UG and BEd while teachers whom the person supervises are required to have PG and NET/SET qualifications.
- Junior teachers in higher secondary section need to teach for a certain number of hours to be promoted as senior teacher. However, a principal who has no teaching hours in the higher secondary section can be inducted to higher posts based on reservation. Teachers in high school section without PG will be demoted to primary section
- Unification will result in fixing of weekly periods to 28. As a result, the teachers posts in classes 8-12 and primary section will be in excess
- If priority list of those teachers with PG are considered for 8 to 12 classes, then those teachers who were appointed recently in high school-higher secondary section will end up in the bottom