THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Central Board of Secondary Education (
CBSE) has given ultimatum to all of its affiliated institutions in the state to strictly comply with the board’s 2016 regulations, which advised the schools against employing staff above 60 years of age, both in teaching and non-teaching categories. The directive, if implemented strictly, would see hundreds of persons rendered jobless.
“CBSE regional office has sent reminders more than once to affiliated schools, stating that all will have to remove employees above 60 years from the rolls before the beginning of the next academic year. The school authorities are asked to submit an affidavit signed in front of first class judicial magistrate, saying that the school has only persons less than 60 years of age in rolls across the board. Hundreds of persons employed in CBSE schools in various capacities would suddenly become jobless, if the CBSE diktat is implemented with the urgency it demands,” said the chairman of one of the leading CBSE schools in the state capital.
Several CBSE school authorities, on condition of anonymity, revealed that only the CBSE regional office in
Kerala was putting such pressure on schools. “Schools elsewhere in the country are not directed to strictly follow the age restrictions mentioned in the CBSE regulations. Left with no other choice, schools have started removing their staff above 60 years from the rolls. Most of the CBSE-affiliated schools employ drivers retired from government service to ply their school buses. Also, security staff preferred are also in the 55-65 age range. We don’t understand why the CBSE, which is only an affiliating body, should be bothering about such management aspects of the schools. There are several issues while engaging relatively younger candidates in many posts,” they said.
According to the principal of a school run by a Christian management, there was no logic in the CBSE stand. “The age limit set by AICTE for principals in engineering
college is 65. Vice-chancellors in universities also work until they turn 65. Experienced faculties are hired by CBSE schools when they retire from government or aided schools. What is wrong in utilising their service if they are fit to render the service that the school management demands, irrespective of their age?,” he asked. At present, the state government insists that only those who are at least 40 years of age should be employed as school bus drivers.
