PremiumTeacher is a more gender-neutral term than honorifics like 'sir' or 'madam' to address them, Child Rights panel said
All students are to address their school teachers as 'teacher' instead of 'sir' or 'madam', irrespective of their gender, as directed by the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR).
The Kerala Child Rights panel said, as reported by news agency PTI, 'Teacher' is a more gender-neutral term than honorifics like 'sir' or 'madam' to address them.
The KSCPCR order also mentioned avoiding calling out words like "Sir" and "Madam".
A Bench, comprising panel chairperson K V Manoj Kumar and member C Vijayakumar, on Wednesday directed the General Education Department to give instructions to use the term 'teacher' in all schools in the State.
The Child Rights Commission also opined that calling out "teacher" instead of sir or madam can help in maintaining equality among the children of all schools and will also increase their attachment to the teachers.
As per the sources, the directive was given while considering a plea filed by a person seeking to end the discrimination while addressing teachers 'sir' and 'madam' according to their gender.