The Higher Secondary Teachers’ Organisations have demanded withdrawal of an order from the Director of General Education (DGE) demoting a higher secondary teacher (HSST) to HSST (junior) to accommodate another teacher as higher secondary school Principal.
Terming the order strange, the teachers’ organisations have warned that they would approach the court if the order was not withdrawn. The Kerala Higher Secondary Teachers Union, in a statement, said the DGE’s action of demoting a teacher was a violation of rules. A teacher who was working as HSST could not be demoted in order to promote high school HMs/AEOs as HSS Principals.
The Aided Higher Secondary Teachers’ Association alleged that the HSST Sociology teacher employed in Kannur district had been posted to Malappuram as a HSST (junior) teacher to accommodate a teacher who was on deputation as Assistant Education Officer (AEO) as HSS Principal. This was a violation of Kerala Education Rules, the association said, warning of strong protests.
Higher secondary school Principal vacancies are filled in the 2:1 ratio by appointing eligible HSST teachers or promotion/by-transfer of HMs/AEOs. Since the subject of the AEO concerned was Sociology, the Principal’s posting will be done as HSST Sociology.
The order mentions that 12 HSST Sociology teachers and five teachers in the HM/AEO category had been promoted as Principals. Since there were not enough vacancies to accommodate all those appointed as Principals in Sociology, the most junior among those appointed as HSST Sociology teachers would be reverted to their feeder category of HSST (junior). The HSST, who taught the same subject as that of the teacher appointed as Principal, will be removed.
It was only in September that the demoted teacher who worked as HSST (Junior) got appointed as HSST through by-transfer.
‘KER needs amendment’
Asked about the order, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty told mediapersons on Saturday the department would examine if there had been any violation of rules. Strict action would be taken if anything illegal or unjust had been done.
On HSS postings made on the basis of the 2:1 ratio that had been in place for more than two decades, the Minister said KER needed to be amended.
