Kerala gov't decides against revising teacher-student ratio for high schools

The Kerala government has taken some crucial decisions with regard to education in the state. The cabinet has decided to continue the teacher-student ratio in aided high schools at 1:40 for the academic year 2022-23, after demands from the state's teachers' union against revising the ratio.

In August this year, Principal Secretary (General Education) APM Mohamed Hanish said the ‘concessional’ teacher-pupil ratio of 1:40, allowed in Classes IX and X so as to protect teachers who have lost their posts, will be discontinued. The order also directed education department officials to carry out the staff fixation within the stipulated time frame using the 1:45 ratio, reported The New Indian Express. However, teachers’ unions had laid demands for the 1:40 ratio, which has been followed in high schools in Kerala for over two decades, to be continued. The teachers' unions claimed that the revision of the ratio to 1:45 would cause more than 1,000 teachers to lose their jobs, mostly in aided schools.

Pradeep C, State President of Kerala Pradesh School Teachers’ Association who spoke to TNIE in August claimed that hundreds of teachers taking regular classes would be forced to leave their schools immediately. He demanded that the state government reconsider its decision to revise the ratio.

Other plans on the anvil
The Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) will hold the Young Innovation Programme 2022 in association with government departments, universities and other agencies. TNIE reported that the Kerala government will also award administrative sanctions towards establishing a digital science park under the Kerala Digital University by spending Rs 1,515 crore. A sum of Rs 1,175 crore will be sanctioned by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and the rest from industrial partners and other sources.  

In Kozhikode, an organ and tissue transplant institute will be established. Dr Biju Pottekatt, surgical gastroenterology professor at JIPMER Pondicherry, will be appointed Special Officer of the institute. The authorised share capital of Kerala State Handloom Development Corporation (Hanveev) will be raised from Rs 50 crore to Rs 60 crore, decided the cabinet. The salary of permanent employees of the Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology will be revised, reported TNIE.