T'PURAM: About 15 members of the Special Educators Federation (SEF) staged a ‘protest pongala’ in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, seeking regularisation of their posts supporting children with special needs in government schools.
Amid the prayers of lakhs of devotees offering Pongala in the capital, the group of women said their offering was against what they termed a “systemic injustice”.
Although General Education Minister V Sivankutty recently said their crisis would be resolved soon, the educators said a permanent appointment and fair pay remain a distant dream despite a favourable Supreme Court ruling.
Shiny S, a special educator from Kilimanoor BRC and mother of a differently abled child, said that apart from their posts not being regularised, there has been no salary hike in the past 10 years.
“Special students will have visible improvement when they learn in a government school rather than a school exclusively for them. But to integrate and support them to strike a balance with other students, we make huge efforts. Yet, this is our plight,” she said.
Anitha Nayakom from Kaniyapuram BRC said she was uncertain whether the unfulfilled promises would benefit her, as she is set to retire within two years.
“I have been working as a special educator in government schools for the past 25 years, without receiving any promised benefits. My only hope is that I would at least receive a pension for all the efforts I have made,” she said.
SEF joint secretary Shalin Raj said that at least 20 states had initiated action on the Supreme Court directive issued in April 2025 to regularise the appointments of special educators in government schools across the country, but the state had not taken steps in that direction.
“Things are even tougher for women, for they constitute at least 85% of the special educators across the state. Our workload is also heavier than before,” he added.