KOZHIKODE: “Where does your child study?” is a seemingly harmless question. But a section of higher secondary teachers in the state have cried foul after the government posed this query to them in a circular issued recently.
The teachers allege the government is trying to “single out” and go on a “witch-hunt” against those teachers who have enrolled their children in unaided schools affiliated to national boards. They have also interpreted the query in the context of the government’s ambitious General Education Protection Campaign, which lays stress on promoting schools in the government and aided sector by developing their infrastructure and other facilities.
The circular issued by the Higher Secondary Directorate has asked principals to provide details of teaching and non-teaching staff, name of the school where their children are studying and ‘details’ about the school. The circular states the information is being collected on the directions of the government to ‘urgently’ prepare the answer to a query raised in the Assembly.
A section of teachers said the move aim at targeting those who have not yet enrolled their children in state-run or state-aided schools.
“The government has already taken a hostile stance towards higher secondary teachers, alleging they are working against the its efforts to strengthen general education. We have also been accused of trying to torpedo the move to merge the Higher Secondary Directorate and the Directorate of Public Instruction,” said a teacher on condition of anonymity.
Teachers’ unions have reacted sharply to the move. Aided Higher Secondary Teachers’ Association state general secretary S Manoj said the government should first try to find out where the children of the ministers’ personal staff are studying.
“This move (of the government) reminds us of the recent controversy over the Salary Challenge. If the data collection is part of an imminent witch-hunt against higher secondary teachers, we will oppose it tooth and nail and will even explore legal options,” he warned.