High School Teachers Face Job Threat Due to Uncertainty Over Student-Teacher Ratio

A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the appointment of high school teachers in Kerala as the government grapples with the student-teacher ratio dispute. The crisis stems from a lack of consensus between the education and finance departments, reminiscent of previous years, leading to concerns about job security for over a thousand high school teachers.

The Kerala Education Act (KER) mandates an officer-level inspection at a 1:45 ratio, a move that jeopardizes the employment of numerous teachers. In the aftermath of inspections, several teaching positions have been cut, leaving many educators without salaries for two months. The education department is yet to finalize the post-approval report, a task that ideally should have been completed by October 15.

For the past 25 years, appointments for classes 9 and 10 were made based on a 1:40 ratio. The government has historically offered a relaxation to safeguard teachers’ positions under threat due to the implementation of the KER 1:45 norm.

However, this time, discord between the education and finance departments persists. While the Cabinet had previously approved the relaxation, the finance department contends that this approval was valid only for a year. The ongoing financial crisis hampers the finance department’s compliance, stalling progress in the education department as well. Officials from the education department point out that a high-level assessment to determine the available teaching positions is pending.

Amidst this turmoil, teacher unions are expressing their concerns. The AKSTU General Secretary, O.K Jayakrishnan, demands protection for teachers if the 1:45 norm is enforced, emphasizing the need for job security. The KPSTU General Secretary, P.K Aravindan, highlights the lack of positive action despite strikes and personal meetings with the Education Minister and the Director of General Education.