Kerala Teachers' Body Ends 17-Day Protest After Minister's Assurance

The Upper Primary School Teacher (UPST) Rank Holders Association on Friday called off its 17-day protest in front of the Kerala Secretariat after General Education Minister N. Samsudheen assured the group that their demands would be examined sympathetically. The decision to withdraw came after a meeting between the Minister and representatives of the association.

The association had been protesting to press for two main demands: that the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) stop issuing repeated notifications without reporting vacancies, and that the existing rank list be extended so that more qualified candidates could be appointed before its expiry. The protesters argue that many rank holders have been waiting for years while PSC notifications have failed to lead to actual appointments.

During the meeting, Mr. Samsudheen said the government would require 45 days to study the demand for appointing PSC-ranked candidates to Head Teacher Vacancy (HTV) posts. He also said the government would examine other issues related to the teacher-student ratio in government schools that are facing the loss of teaching posts.

The rank holders’ representatives also brought to the Minister’s attention that there are no upper primary teachers in model residential schools and fisheries schools. Based on this representation, the Minister directed the Director General of Education (DGE), Snehil Kumar, to examine the possibility of making appointments to these institutions from the existing UP school rank lists of the respective districts and to take appropriate action. Senior officials of the General Education Department also participated in the discussions.

The association ultimately agreed to withdraw from the protest based on the Minister’s assurance that the demands raised by them would be examined during the 45-day period and that those found favourable would be implemented at the earliest. This marks the end of the protest that had been held near the Secretariat since late July.

The development is significant for many teacher aspirants in Kerala who have been waiting for appointments through PSC rank lists. The UPST Rank Holders Association has stated that it will continue to monitor the implementation of the assurances and will resume its protest if the promises are not kept within the stipulated time.