Administrative lapse keeps 37 PSC-qualified teachers unemployed ahead of Praveshanolsavam

As Praveshanolsavam, the celebration marking the reopening of schools after the summer break, unfolds across the state on Monday, 37 government school teachers stripped of their jobs due to an administrative lapse will be left to watch the festivities from their homes.

These teachers, all Junior English HSSTs (Higher Secondary School Teachers), lost their positions due to a miscalculation in the post assessment process carried out by the government. The temporary protection they had been granted, under which their posts were retained as ‘excess vacancies’, officially expired on the evening of May 31.

The affected teachers had secured their positions by clearing the examination conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC). However, a post assessment exercise conducted two years ago identified 68 Junior English teaching posts at HSST as surplus. This surplus arose from a revision of the workload framework, which set the number of periods to a ratio of 7 and 14 per week.

The sudden slashing of posts triggered widespread protests at the time, given that the teachers had rightfully earned their jobs through the PSC process. Following this, the government brought out an order safeguarding these excess posts for a two-year period. A decision was also made to gradually absorb these teachers into permanent roles as vacancies emerged.

Following this, all 68 teachers were reinstated under the protection order. Over the two-year window, 31 of them were absorbed into permanent positions through natural vacancies.

Currently, promotions are due for 40 junior teachers in the department, which would have freed up permanent vacancies for the remaining 37 teachers. However, with the protection period now expired and no official order yet issued regarding these promotions, these 37 teachers have effectively been ousted from service.

It was widely expected that the Education Department would extend the protection period by at least a couple of weeks, to prevent disruption in employment. But no such extension has been announced, leaving these teachers with no choice but to approach the courts to reclaim their jobs.

Commenting on the issue, Mujeeb Rehman, an office bearer of the Higher Secondary School Teachers’ Association (HSSTA), said, “It is really unfortunate that teachers who have earned their jobs through the PSC are being forced out on the very day children are entering the schools. These teachers are victims of the government’s irresponsibility. That an earlier mistake is now being repeated is an affront to the entire teaching community.”