Kerala teacher aspirants announce hunger strike after 113 days

Lower primary school teacher rank-list candidates escalated their protest outside the Kerala Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, with agitation leader S Valarmathi shaving her head and announcing an indefinite hunger strike as the demonstration entered its 113th day.

The candidates, selected for inclusion in the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) recruitment list, accused the state government of failing to honour assurances on appointments and staffing reforms. They demanded immediate recruitment, a pupil-teacher ratio of 25 to one and PSC oversight of teacher appointments in government-aided schools.

Valarmathi, a leader of the All Kerala Lower Primary School Teacher Rank Holders’ Association, undertook the tonsuring at the protest venue. She said the candidates had been left with little choice but to resume stronger action after waiting for a government decision.

The fresh escalation follows an agreement reached in August, when General Education Minister N Samsudheen met the protesters and requested 45 days to examine their demands. Valarmathi then ended a 13-day hunger strike, while the candidates maintained their presence outside the Secretariat.

The minister had said a committee of senior education officials would study proposals concerning teacher deployment, recruitment and the pupil-teacher ratio. Protesters say the period sought by the government passed without a satisfactory resolution, prompting Monday’s return to an indefinite fast.

Valarmathi accused Chief Minister V D Satheesan of abandoning the concerns he had raised about jobseekers while serving as Leader of the Opposition. She also alleged that financial constraints were being cited to avoid meeting the candidates’ demands. Those assertions reflect the protesters’ position rather than an independently established explanation for government action.

The candidates argue that passing the PSC selection process has not translated into appointments despite continuing staffing needs in schools. They want vacancies identified and communicated promptly to the commission, so that eligible rank-holders can be considered before the existing list expires.

Their demands centre on the list published in May 2025. The association says candidates placed at the top of district rankings have remained without appointments, highlighting what it describes as a substantial gap between the recruitment exercise and actual offers of employment.

Reducing the pupil-teacher ratio from 1:30 to 1:25 is another central demand. Protesters contend that smaller classes would protect teaching positions at schools where falling enrolment could otherwise result in fewer sanctioned posts, while also creating additional opportunities for candidates on the list.

Such a change would require an assessment of staffing requirements and its financial implications. Samsudheen had acknowledged during the August discussions that the government needed time to examine the proposal, rather than committing immediately to a revised ratio.

The campaign also seeks to bring recruitment in aided schools under the PSC. Teachers in these privately managed, publicly supported institutions receive salaries financed by the government, but school managements retain appointment powers under the existing system. Protesters allege that this arrangement can enable payments for appointments and have demanded a transparent recruitment procedure.

The allegation of payments has not been established across the aided-school sector, and the protesters’ demand does not itself establish misconduct by any particular school or management. Altering the recruitment framework would involve a policy decision beyond the immediate filling of vacancies in government schools.

Candidates have additionally sought changes concerning head teacher vacancies. They want posts linked to head teachers who are relieved of normal classroom duties to be considered within recruitment arrangements, and have called for safeguards against the loss of teaching posts when pupil numbers decline.

The August negotiations had also addressed the validity of the PSC rank list. Samsudheen indicated that steps would be considered to extend its duration, while candidates pressed for vacancies to be reported before further recruitment notifications were issued.

Monday’s action marks a renewed hunger strike rather than the beginning of the association’s protest. The demonstration began on July 6 and has continued outside the Secretariat through the earlier fast, ministerial discussions and a period when campaigners temporarily scaled back their more confrontational methods.

The candidates have previously used symbolic protests to draw attention to their situation. Monday’s head-shaving ceremony took place at the same protest site where they have maintained their campaign for more than three months, alongside fellow candidates awaiting formal appointment orders from authorities.