Higher Secondary Education Director Keshvendra Kumar on Monday met General Education Secretary K Elangovan for the first time after a row erupted over a circular on appointments to aided higher secondary teaching and non-teaching posts. However, both officials maintained that the circular issue was not discussed. “It was a routine, official meeting,’’ Keshvendra Kumar said adding that the HSE circular was not discussed. “I have already given a report to the Secretary on the matter,’’ he said. The HSE Director said that the concern of the aided school managements - whether the strict norms also apply to guest teachers - appeared genuine. ‘’Within a few days we will issue a clarification that the norms in the July 18 circular do not apply to appointment of guest teachers,’’ Kumar said.
Other changes - including amendment to the norm that no appointments should be made to a teaching post if there are less than three applicants - will be made after further discussions, he said. Speaking to Express, Elangovan said he was examining various aspects of the circular and would brief Education Minister P K Abdu Rabb in a few days. “Various aspects of the circular, including the new norms, its implications and concerns of the aided managements towards it will be examined in detail,’’ he said. “Aided school managements are of the view that some norms in the circular are an infringement of their rights. We will see if these concerns are genuine. On the other hand, if we find that the circular has helped bring transparency in appointments, we will welcome it,’’ he said.