Kerala: Education, finance departments differ on HSS teaching hours

Thiruvananthapuram: The general education and finance departments have differed on the number of teaching hours for higher secondary school teachers of the state. The finance department made it clear that a new vacancy for a senior teacher would be given only if schools had over 32 periods for a subject. The workload of higher secondary school teachers should be fixed accordingly, says the finance department. An extra post of junior teacher should be created only if there were seven periods extra.

On the other hand, the general education department wanted the present system of a senior post for every 25 hours and a junior post for an extra three periods. In 2014-15, 249 new higher secondary schools and 190 extra batches were sanctioned in higher secondary schools. These schools together had created 1739 junior and 89 senior higher secondary school teacher vacancies in the aided sector and 564 junior teachers and 46 senior teachers in the government sector.

These posts have not yet got the sanction of the finance department.  The general education department has forwarded a total of 2725 including these posts for sanction. However, the finance department refused sanction on the grounds that it would create an additional financial burden for the government. At present there are 18,000 senior teachers and 7,500 junior teachers in higher secondary schools. If the finance department’s logic is applied, nearly 5000 teachers would become excess.