State to take steps to extend SC relief to other aided managements

In a softening of its stance on the issue of appointments to aided schools, the government has decided to take legal steps to extend relaxations allowed by the Supreme Court to Nair Service Society (NSS) managements to other aided school managements too, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, the Minister said the government would make its stance known when the case was taken up by the apex court again on October 16.

The decision was taken at a high-level review meeting presided over by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here earlier in the morning.

The Supreme Court had allowed regularisation of appointments in aided schools under NSS management except for in posts reserved for the differently abled. The government received the legal opinion that the court judgment was applicable only to NSS managements. However, the government understood the need for a common and lasting solution to the issue, the Minister said.

The Minister said the government was aiming at a comprehensive solution that protected the rights of the differently abled, while considering the just concerns of the teaching community and the managements. “The decision will mark a new chapter in the State’s education sector,” the Minister said.

The Minister said a number of similar cases, including those pertaining to teacher appointments and differently abled appointments, were under the consideration of the Supreme Court. A final verdict is needed for the State to take action. The government would approach the court for the final verdict, he said.

Besides Mr. Sivankutty, Minister for Law P. Rajeeve, General Education Secretary K. Vasuki, Director of General Education N.S.K. Umesh, Advocate General K. Gopalakrishna Kurup, and Law Secretary K.G. Sanal Kumar attended the meeting.

The government had argued that of the nearly 5,000 aided school managements in the State, only 1,329 had reported vacancies for differently abled appointments. Around 1,500 differently abled had got appointments in aided schools. More than 5,100 vacancies reserved for the differently abled were yet to be reported.

Various school managements, particularly those under the Catholic Church, had come out against the government stand on the issue of aided school managements. The Minister had met Archbishop Thomas Tharayil of the Changanassery diocese recently.

He denied though that the government had succumbed to pressure from the church and changed its stance. “It is a complex issue. Only the time needed to take a decision on it was taken. A meeting of top officials was convened by the Chief Minister considering the gravity of the issue.”

No decision had been taken on a meeting of school managements with the Chief Minister, he added.

The government estimates that nearly 16,000 teachers are working on daily wages.