Most of the teachers assigned to census work are women, and many live far from their schools.
Pathanamthitta, Kerala: As many as 694 government primary schools across Kerala have been left without headteachers due to administrative freezes linked to census duties.
The vacancies arose following the retirement of headteachers on 31 May. However, the process of appointing successors through promotions has been stalled following a government order issued in April banning promotions and transfers in view of the census.
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Despite the order, appointments were made to 86 vacant headteacher posts in Kollam district. Similar appointments were also carried out in 23 primary schools in Thiruvananthapuram.
Malappuram worst hit
The crisis is most acute in Malappuram district, where 128 primary schools are currently operating without a permanent headteacher. Thiruvananthapuram follows with 77 schools lacking headteachers, while Wayanad has been the least affected, with 18 schools without one.
District-wise data
- Thiruvananthapuram: 77
- Pathanamthitta: 44
- Alappuzha: 65
- Kottayam: 47
- Idukki: 26
- Ernakulam: 50
- Thrissur: 25
- Palakkad: 64
- Malappuram: 128
- Kozhikode: 59
- Wayanad: 18
- Kannur: 46
- Kasaragod: 45
Schools under 'in-charge' governance
With promotions on hold, senior teachers have been given additional charge of these 694 schools. The situation has become more complicated because many of these 'in-charge' teachers have also been assigned census duties.
As a result, whenever these acting headteachers leave for census-related work, the schools are left without leadership on site.
Teachers voice protest
Thiruvananthapuram: Teachers have expressed outrage over what they describe as "senseless" census duty arrangements that threaten to disrupt the academic year. Teachers' organisations have collectively submitted a formal complaint to Minister N. Samsudheen.
Census operations are scheduled to continue throughout July. Around 70,000 personnel have been deployed across the state, including 10,000 supervisors, while the remainder have been tasked with door-to-door data collection.
Teachers constitute the overwhelming majority of the workforce engaged in the exercise. Educators argue that if they are diverted from classrooms for a month, quarterly examinations scheduled for August could be affected. They have also pointed out that those assigned census duty are not being granted duty leave.
Instead, teachers said they have been instructed to carry out census work after school hours by visiting households. They questioned how this would be feasible during the monsoon season, particularly after completing their regular teaching responsibilities.
Most of the teachers assigned to census work are women, and many live far from their schools. Since collecting information from a single household can take at least half an hour, they argued that census duties could extend late into the night.
Teachers' organisations cited these concerns in their complaint to the minister.
Organisations including KPSTA, KSTA and AKSTU have demanded duty leave for teachers assigned to census work, along with the appointment of temporary teachers to ensure that students' learning is not disrupted.
Published: 11 Jun 2026, 08:38 am IST
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