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Kerala Teachers to Protest as Education Policy and Teacher Workload Reform Take Centre Stage
On June 30, protests were carried out by the Kerala School Teachers' Association (KSTA) and the All Kerala School Teachers' Union (AKSTU), and were unified by challenges in the teaching profession and the future of public education. Teachers in Kerala held synchronized demonstrations. Coordinated under Left-affiliated teacher unions, each of the protests was ideologically and thematically distinct. The KSTA made a plea for teachers performing Census duties to be exempted, as well as a demand for the execution of overdue teacher transfers. On the other hand, the AKSTU held a protest against the PM SHRI school scheme of the Centre.
Protests have assisted with the escalation of administrative duties versus teaching the core functions, as well as the discussion regarding the reform of education in the State of Kerala. Teacher unions have argued that government duties assigned to teachers during the academic year disrupt learning and further burden a school system that is already short-staffed. Unions also voiced concerns about policy reform that would likely impact the public education system in the State.
Key Highlights
- KSTA organized a statewide chain protest.
- Teachers were granted exemptions from teaching during Census duties.
- The union called for overdue teacher transfers to be enacted.
- AKSTU held a protest against the PM SHRI school scheme.
- Teacher workload and education policy reform were the main protest issues.
The protests on June 30 articulated ongoing administrative and policy issues that have been dominating Kerala's education sector.
KSTA Seeks Relief for Teachers Working Census Duty
The Kerala School Teachers' Association believes teachers undertaking Census duties need to be relieved from their teaching duties to prevent the disruption of classroom learning. According to the union, the burden of performing both Census duties and teaching duties creates additional pressure on the teachers and adversely affects the students during the academic session.
KSTA argues that the state government should hire daily wage teachers to cover the teaching duties of teachers who have been deployed on Census duties. The organization believes this would facilitate the teaching of the daily school curriculum and allow government duties to be performed. Another major demand of the protest is the implementation of the teacher transfers, which have been postponed due to the Census duties.
Main KSTA Demands
- Daily wage teachers to cover the teacher duties of those on Census duty
- Relief from teaching duties
- Rapid transfer of those on teaching duty
- Protection of uninterrupted learning and teaching.
It is a well-known fact that teachers are central to maintaining the learning of students during the academic year. Disrupting the deployment of teaching staff will adversely impact learning and engagement of the students, as well as the assessment of students, without alternative staffing being available.
AKSTU Speaks Out Against PM SHRI Scheme and Provokes New Debate on Education Policies
The All Kerala School Teachers' Union convened in Ayyankali Hall and protested the PM SHRI scheme. The Union claimed the intended goal of their protests was to concern Kerala's public education defense and stated their protests addressed concerns regarding attempts to gradually implement the National Education Policy using Centrally Sponsored School Schemes.
The PM SHRI scheme was an initiative of the Union Government to develop model schools in selected schools with better infrastructure, technology-integrated classrooms, and Modern Teaching. However, the Left-affiliated organizations have raised concerns in Kerala regarding the scheme going beyond the development of school infrastructure. Thus, the convention aimed to preserve Kerala's secular and public education and the inclusive nature of public education and to promote discussions regarding education reforms.
Importance of the Issue
- PM SHRI seeks to reinforce selected schools throughout the nation.
- The Left-affiliated trade unions in Kerala have opposed the implementation of the PM SHRI.
- Discourse on education policies, governance, and state autonomy is necessary.
- The interests of the students must be preserved and defended.
The June 30 protests demonstrate the relationship between teacher welfare, Administrative responsibilities, and National Education Reforms. Unions have pointed to the need for a necessary balance between the government's desire to modernize the infrastructure of schools and the administrative efficiency, with the need to promote a balance between classroom education and the implementation of policy reforms that compromise the interactive nature of classroom education.
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