The government move to revert 43 teachers deputed to District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET) across the state back to their parent departments has kicked up a row with Left-affiliated teachers’ organisations all set to launch protests against the decision.
DIET oversees the function of planning, research and implementation of educational programmes in the state.
There are 14 DIETs across the state, one each in every revenue district.
According to senior officials of the General Education Department, the government’s decision to issue disqualification notice to 43 teachers came in the wake of a recent order by the Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT).
In a case relating to the appointment of seven teachers in DIET, the Tribunal had set certain eligibility criteria for their appointment while ruling that the remaining appointments were settled.
“However, the government felt that the criteria for appointment in DIET should be the same for all teachers. After examining all the appointments, the government came to the conclusion that around 43 other teachers also do not meet the criteria set by the tribunal and has issued disqualification notices to them,” Director of Public Instruction Biju Prabhakar told ‘Express’.
The DIET teachers against whom disqualification notices were issued have been given time for individual hearing.
“However, most of the teachers did not respond to the notices. Instead of filing individual responses, most of them have filed mass representations,” Prabhakar said.
He said that the teachers reverted to their parent departments would only lose their higher pay and not their seniority or other service benefits.
The Left-affiliated Kerala School Teachers’ Association (KSTA) has accused the government of trying to destabilise the functioning of the DIET.
“As many as 70 DIET teachers appointed in 2008 have been served disqualification notices by the government. This comes at a time when DIET is already facing an acute manpower shortage,” KSTA general secretary M Shahjahan said.
“The government has been deliberately delaying the regularisation of the appointment of DIET teachers for many years. Now, on the pretext of a tribunal order, it is trying to oust more teachers and make fresh appointments against monetary gains,” Shahjahan alleged.
DIET teachers under the aegis of the KSTA will hold a one-day protest in front of the Secretariat on Wednesday in protest against the government move, he said.