Kerala govt to reinstate 67 teachers who were fired over ‘lack of vacancies’

In a huge relief to scores of teachers who were sacked by the Kerala government 'for lack of vacancies', the state Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, April 26, decided to reinstate them.The government in March sacked 67 Higher Secondary English teachers in the junior category citing that the teachers did not have adequate workload following staff fixation.

Some of the teachers had other jobs which they quit to become teachers.The Director of Public Instruction's (DPI) order regarding this had left the teachers in a spot. The press release on the reinstatement of the teachers on Wednesday said that it has been decided to reinstate the retrenched teachers who were working at the Generala Education Department in the category of junior English teachers. The Cabinet meeting has decided to create supernumerary posts for this from June 1 this year to May 31, 2025.

Abdul Jaleel Panakkad, state general secretary of the Kerala Higher Secondary Teachers Union (KHSTU) told TNM that the government could have gone for this decision earlier rather than sacking the teachers. "The government did not approach the issue with the seriousness it ought to have. But, we are happy that the decision has come at least now," he added.

This was the first time that the government sacked staff who were hired on a permanent basis after clearing the exam and the procedures conducted by the State Public Service Commission, the recruiting agency for government jobs in the state.

The Government Order, issued by the DPI, on March 31 said that 67 Higher Secondary School Teachers (HSST) are discharged for want of vacancies as per Kerala state and Subordinate Services Rules. The order stated that the teachers will be reinstated depending on the regular vacancies for English teachers on seniority basis as they emerge.