By P. Sreekumaran
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There is no let-up in the V. D. Satheesan-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Government’s penchant for taking controversial decisions.
The latest controversy the Government has created is on the appointment, through employment exchange, to temporary teaching vacancies in aided schools.
Not surprisingly, community organisations have taken strong exception to the decision. The first to fire the salvo has been the Nair Service Society (NSS), the powerful organization of the Nair community, which says that the move infringes on the statutory powers of school managers and could affect the quality of education.
In a strongly-worded statement, NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair contended that the directive of the Director of General Education asking managements of aided educational institutions to make appointment to temporary teachers’ vacancies, including leave vacancies, only from the list provided by the employment exchange is unacceptable.
The move, Nair said, deprived school managements of the appointment powers vested in them under the Kerala Education Act and Rules. “Under Section 11 of the Kerala Education Act and Chapter XIV A of the Kerala Education Rules, the manager of the school alone is vested with the authority to make all appointments, including those to teaching and non-teaching posts. The Director of General Education’s directive that even temporary vacancies be filled through the employment exchange amounts to an attempt to amend the Act and the Rules through a mere circular, Nair added.
The NSS boss also alleged that the decision would disproportionately benefit candidates belonging to reserved categories while adversely affecting those in the unreserved category. “It is also an encroachment on the appointment powers of school managers. Managements have the Constitutional right under article 19(1)(g) to run educational institutions, and the circular infringes upon that right,” he argued.
He also expressed grave concern over the impact on the quality of education, particularly at the higher secondary level, where subject-specific academic qualifications are crucial.
The problem with appointments through the employment exchange is that these appointments are based on seniority. This would affect the quality of education. Besides, temporary vacancies, arising unexpectedly due to maternity or medical leave require immediate appointments to ensure that studies are not disrupted. The delay involved in obtaining lists from the employment exchange will adversely affect teaching, Nair pointed out. Since the decision is discriminatory and goes against the spirit of aided school system, Nair urged the Government to withdraw it immediately.
It is not as if the NSS alone is opposed to the Government’s decision. The Syro-Malabar Church is also critical of the move.
In its opposition voiced through a statement, the Syro-Malabar Public Affairs Commission termed the proposed appointment mechanism as “unacceptable” as it violated the constitutional rights of the minority institutions and undermined the autonomy of aided school managements. It said the aided school managements share the Government’s responsibility to ensure access to quality education.
In this connection, the Commission mentioned a circular issued by the Regional Deputy Director of General Education, Kannur, on July 15, directing that temporary and daily wage appointments to teaching and non-teaching posts in aided schools be made only from lists provided by the employment exchange. The circular cites a communication issued by the Director of General education on June 27, 2026, as the basis for the directive.
The Church has also asked the Government to withdraw the decision with immediate effect as the move erodes the functional autonomy of aided school managements.
The controversial decision, among others, is certain to figure in the discussions at the meeting of the coordination committee of the UDF, scheduled to be held on July 30.
The delay in convening the committee meeting had come under criticism with the Congress’s ally in the UDF, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) voicing its displeasure openly. The meeting is set to discuss appointments to the top posts in the corporations and boards under the government departments, according to UDF convener Adoor Prakash.
At present, important positions are still held by individuals appointed by the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government, Prakash said, adding that the UDF does not intend to continue with them.
The UDF meeting, will, in all probability, stormy as many decisions unilaterally taken by Chief Minister V D Satheesan are likely to draw criticism. Among the decisions the Chief Minister took without consulting the allies or discussing the matter in the UDF coordination committee are the decision to lower tax on low-alcohol beverages, the Adani Group’s proposed stake sale in the Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt. Ltd and the appointment of Government pleaders.
Referring to the delay in convening the committee meeting, Prakash said this was due to Budget session of the State assembly and Parliament’s Monsoon session.
Last but not the last, the meeting will also discuss the appointment of a full-time president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), lying vacant since the induction of former KPCC chief Sunny Joseph as a minister in the UDF Government. (IPA Service)
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