Thiruvananthapuram: The service of protected teachers will be availed to the maximum extent to teach English in high schools having up to four divisions. The Kerala Government has issued a new order amending an earlier one that provided for the appointment of guest teachers to such posts on a daily-wage basis.
The new order makes it clear that if there are protected teachers with no postings following the reduction of divisions, then these teachers should continue to be deployed in the respective schools.
The earlier decision to appoint temporary faculty even as the protected teachers, drawing government salary, were sitting idle was one that causes an additional burden to the Government. The initial order in October has been corrected now with the latest action.
‘English’ was earlier included in core subjects for which teachers could be appointed only if the school in question has at least five divisions. The High Court objected to this and asked the Government to consider ‘English’ as a language subject itself. It also directed the creation of a special cadre of High School Assistant (English) teachers in government and aided high schools.
The Government, while pointing out that the same would affect postings of teachers in other core subjects, set up a study committee to come out with a solution and issued the order providing for the appointment of guest teachers this year.
When the decision evoked criticism from various quarters, the Director General of Education submitted a letter to the Government asking for its nod to maintain the postings of protected teachers and appoint temporary teachers only in the rest of the schools. The new order was issued on this basis.