2,734 teachers’ posts vacant in Kerala government primary, high schools

As many as 2,734 teachers’ posts are vacant in government primary and high schools in the State.

These include 737 lower and upper primary teacher posts each and 1,260 high school teacher posts, Minister for General Education N. Samsudheen has said in a written reply to the Assembly.

The highest number of vacant posts is in Malappuram – 464. Of these, 248 alone are in the high school category. Kozhikode has 270 vacancies, of which 138 are in high schools.

The highest number of vacant lower primary teacher posts is also in Malappuram – 128. Ernakulam follows with 76.

In the upper primary category, the highest number of vacant posts is in Thiruvananthapuram – 113. Malappuram with 88 and Ernakulam with 85 vacant posts follow.

Idukki has the least number of vacant posts – 41. Palakkad has the second least – 84.

In HSS

Posts are also vacant in government higher secondary schools (HSS). As many as 225 higher secondary teacher posts and 713 higher secondary teacher (junior) posts are vacant.

In vocational higher secondary schools, 378 vocational teacher posts and 156 vocational instructor posts to which daily wage appointments are made also exist.

Fourteen non-vocational teacher (junior) posts and four non-vocational teacher (senior) posts are also vacant.

Once the total number of teaching posts in government schools is finalised on the basis of the student headcount on the sixth working day of this academic year and the teachers who were left without a post owing to division fall are rearranged, the remaining vacancies will be reported to the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) and filled.

Permanent appointments are not made to vocational teacher and vocational instructor posts in vocational higher secondary as they fall in the ‘vanishing’ category. Other vacancies, except for those set aside for teachers who are about to complete deputation and those who have availed of loss of pay and are set to return to work, have been reported to the PSC.

Steps were also under way to fill vacancies of higher secondary school teacher and higher secondary teacher (junior) posts through the PSC and by-transfer appointments, the Minister said.