Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s General Education Department has issued an order introducing a new rule to promote head teachers in high schools as higher secondary principals.
According to the order, head teachers can be re-designated as principals only if a vacancy to teach their subject exists in higher secondary. The order also says that if there are other teachers covering the subject in higher secondary, the high school head teachers cannot be appointed as higher secondary principals.
Under the existing rules, vacancies for principals are filled with higher secondary teachers and high school head teachers in a ratio of 2:1. The head teachers are appointed as principals even if no vacancy exists to teach their subject in higher secondary.
Such principals are exempted from taking classes, and another teacher in the same subject is retained by creating a supernumerary post. These rules are based on an order issued in 2006. However, in the latest order, the General Education Department has cancelled these rules and issued fresh guidelines.
The latest order also says that all higher secondary principals should take at least eight hours of classes a week.