Principals of higher secondary schools (HSS) in the State have decided to come out in protest against the “negligence” shown by the government towards their “plight”.
“It is high time that the authorities listened to the genuine issues raised by the higher secondary principals,” says Joshy Antoney, president of the Kerala Aided higher Secondary Teachers Association (KAHSTA).
The KAHSTA has decided to take up the cause of the nearly 1,500 principals in the government and the aided sector.
There are 300 to 1,800 students pursuing different courses in higher secondary schools in the State. Besides the day-to-day administrative issues related each of these students, the principals handle a whole range of activities from new admissions, conduct of public exams, distribution of certificates to students, and ensuring provision of salary and other benefits of teachers.
“While heads of the high school section (headmasters/mistresses) have the services of clerks, peons and other menial staff members at their disposal, the higher secondary principals are left with none to help them in any of these duties,” says Mr. Antoney.
While the head masters/head mistresses have to handle only a few hours of class in a week, the principals are asked to handle nearly 30 hours of class in a week, apart from attending other responsibilities.
A recent decision by the government had made Saturday a holiday for the higher secondary teachers. But the holiday do not apply to the principals of higher secondary schools, says Mr. Antoney. They, being the only administrative heads, are forced to work from 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. six days a week in the State.
80 per cent women Over 80 per cent of the principals in the higher secondary sections are women, he says.
“The government should sanction adequate number of staff to help the principals,” says Mr. Antoney, who maintain that a meeting of the association on August 5 will decide the course of agitation.
