Cabinet nod for teachers revised package

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the package for teachers effecting certain changes in the original package prepared by the government.Briefing mediapersons about the Cabinet decisions on Wednesday, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy  said that 8,076 teachers would be included in the teachers’ bank.  The teachers’ bank would be prepared at the revenue district level.Issuing a stern warning that strict action would be initiated against those schools which tried to inflate the number of students, the Chief Minister said when the new  ‘teacher-student ratio’ comes into effect, the schools will have new vacancies for teachers. He said teachers who worked without salary, protected teachers and those who had been appointed in the vacancies sanctioned during 2010-11 and worked for at least one day, will get the benefits of the package. When the new ratio gets implemented, the first vacancy arising in the school will be filled from the teachers’ bank. He said that forcing teachers to go on leave and creating vacancies artificially will not be allowed in future. The special teachers also will be get appointed to the vacancies from the teachers’ bank.  The package will cover 2,987 protected teachers who had lost jobs and 1,700  teachers who became jobless due to the shortage of students.