THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After dragging its feet for the past many years, the government has sanctioned 158 teaching and 36 non-teaching posts in aided higher secondary schools where new batches were allotted in 2014-15. But some of these schools will continue to be deprived of permanent teachers, thanks to the government's insistence that each batch should have a minimum of 50 students for three consecutive years.
Due to the norm, teaching posts have been denied in schools where the number of students in a batch dropped by just one or two from the lower limit of 50 in any one of the three consecutive years, beginning 2017-18. This, despite the Higher Secondary Special Rules stipulating that the minimum strength of a batch is 25.
"Only 27 of the 32 aided schools, where batches were sanctioned in 2014-15, will benefit from the recent government order. Besides, there is no clarity on teaching posts for 44 batches that were sanctioned in 2015-16," said a representative of the Non-Approved HSS Teachers.
Due to the government's reluctance in sanctioning posts, the faculty positions for the new batches were filled on daily wage basis by the school management. This had raised concerns over the quality of instruction prompting many parents to shift their children to other schools.
"Even after the so-called focus on improving the general education sector, the government has turned a blind eye to 76 higher secondary batches, both in government and aided sector, that has not had a permanent faculty for the past many years," said S Manoj of Aided Higher Secondary Teachers Association.
Higher Secondary teachers have urged the government to withdraw the 'unreasonable' norm and sanction permanent teaching posts in all batches with a minimum strength of 40 students for three consecutive years.
Meanwhile, the government has stuck to the rule book, taking into account the financial commitment it may have to incur if permanent posts are sanctioned. "Even during the creation of new batches, the government had clarified that minimum batch strength should be continuously maintained. The new posts are in accordance with that norm," said a senior official of the General Education Department.
New posts created for batches sanctioned in 2014-15
HSST Junior - 67
HSST - 63
Upgradation - 21
Principal - 7
Lab Assistant - 36
Total - 194