Aided school managements, PTA say ‘no’ to ‘member’ teachers

KOZHIKODE: An aided school has shot off a circular to its teachers clarifying that if they are elected to the local bodies, they should take five-year leave sans salary.

The circular from T.I.M. Girls HSS in Nadapuram, which has created a furore, added that if any prospective ‘member-cum-teacher’ seeks legal remedies, the management too will fight it legally. Half a dozen of schools in Nadapuram are tired of the ‘member-cum-teachers’ due to their absence in classes which affects the students.

According to RTI activist Jafar Vanimel, 75 teachers in Kozhikode district are elected representatives of the local bodies.

They include eight gram panchayat presidents and a block panchayat president. These double servants include members of all political parties, a majority from the IUML and the CPM.

“As many as 22 petitions have come up before the High Court seeking disqualification of these teachers who are local body members. The Kerala education rule (KER) stipulates that no person drawing government salary should be allowed to contest. That is binding on aided teachers too. If empanelled conductors of KSRTC are not allowed, why aided teachers?” asks Mr Jafar.

According to Nadapuram block resource centre (BRC), more than 25 teachers are currently people’s representatives in Nadapuram education sub-district. Nadapuram BRC had passed a resolution backing the school management’s decision.

“These teachers will produce ‘on duty’ certificate from the panchayat to avail of 35 leaves annually. But students will suffer. The PTA has a bundle of complaints,” pointed out Banglath Mohammad, manager of T.I.M. HSS.

The majority of the schools are being controlled by major political parties and so their appointments, candidature to local body poll, drawing double salary etc are being decided by the party itself. The government’s role has been restricted to salary distribution only.

For instance, the management of Cresent HS, Vanimel, is the Vanimel panchayat committee of IUML and the headmaster is the Vanimel gram panchayat president.

Apart from drawing salary as a local body member and availing of other benefits such as vehicle, sitting fee etc, the teacher will appear once in a week in the school to mark his attendance in bulk.

“Even if they come, it will be a nuisance. Many people will wait for the teacher outside the class with several memorandums ranging from agriculture loss to home subsidy. It is high time this dual job system is banned,” says Mr Mohammad.