Kerala govt clears regularization of 20,000 aided school teachers

The Kerala cabinet on Feb 18 cleared two key demands of aided school managements, paving the way for regularization of thousands of teachers whose appointments had been pending approval since 2021.

The state decided to extend a Supreme Court exemption earlier granted to schools run by the Nair Service Society to other aided institutions.

The issue stemmed from court directives requiring job reservation for persons with disabilities, which several managements said they could not fulfill due to a shortage of eligible candidates.

As a result, teachers appointed after 2021 had been working on daily wages without formal approval.

With the latest decision, appointments made by these managements can now be regularized, subject to the outcome of petitions pending before the Supreme Court.

The government also approved relaxation from a recently enforced requirement, based on a Supreme Court order, mandating that teachers clear eligibility tests in line with the National Education Policy.

General Education Minister V Sivankutty said around 20,000 teachers are expected to benefit from the move.

Management bodies, including the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council, welcomed the decision but questioned the delay in resolving the matter.

Salaries of aided school teachers are paid by the state government, and the decision is expected to increase financial commitments for the state.