Thiruvananthapuram: Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday said the government was unable to accept the agitating LPST rank holders’ demand for a lower teacher-student ratio because of financial constraints, adding that his eyes had filled with tears when he saw a woman protester tonsure her head.
He sought to clarify the government’s stand at a press conference after the weekly Cabinet meeting.
Explaining the position, Satheesan said reducing the ratio would require creating additional posts in the LPST (lower primary school teacher) category, with corresponding changes in other categories. The government would have to implement the same proportionately in aided schools, which it could not afford at present.
“The present financial position of the government does not permit us to do this. We have deferred the demand to a more favourable time. We have not denied their aspirations but only explained our limitations,” he said.
Recalling the protest by Valarmathi, secretary of the Action Council and convenor of the LPST rank holders’ protest committee, who tonsured her head on October 26 before beginning a hunger strike, the CM said the sight had deeply moved him.
“When I saw her tonsuring her head, I felt very sad. My eyes filled with tears,” he said.
Satheesan said the government had held eight rounds of discussions with the rank holders, who have been agitating in front of the Secretariat for the past 120 days.
General Education Minister N Samsudheen and he had led the talks, the CM said.
The Education minister’s private secretary had visited the protest venue and requested them to call off the agitation.
He said the government had accepted the other demands but had made it clear that the demand to reduce the teacher-student ratio to 1:25 could not be met at present. The previous government had conveyed the same position to the protesters, he added.
The rank holders are demanding appointment orders for all eligible candidates on the LPST rank list before it expires, transfer of appointments to aided-school teaching posts to the PSC, an end to alleged cash-for-job practices in recruitment, and a reduction of the teacher-student ratio to 1:25.
Valarmathi had maintained that the reduction was necessary given the declining student strength in government schools and the large number of qualified teachers awaiting appointment.
She alleged that the government had not fulfilled any of their demands and had not conducted any study on the issues, despite being given 45 days to examine them.
The CM said the government was willing to hold further talks and had no hostility towards the protesters.
“Whatever they say about the Education Minister or me, we have no objection. The government is still ready to hold discussions with them. We have no rigidity towards the protesters,” he added.
