Thiruvananthapuram: CPM leader and former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has criticised the state government’s decision to discontinue the services of 308 tribal mentor teachers, alleging that the move would adversely affect the education of tribal students and deprive members of marginalised communities of employment.
In a Facebook post, Vijayan described the decision as a “grave injustice” and said the mentor teacher scheme was introduced by the previous LDF government to reduce dropout rates among tribal students and provide them with academic support.
According to him, the affected teachers were working in Wayanad, Palakkad and Malappuram districts under the Gothrabandhu scheme, teaching students from Classes 1 to 4 on a monthly remuneration of ₹21,900. He said qualified tribal youth with TTC and BEd credentials had been appointed to these posts.
Vijayan alleged that the government had decided not to reappoint the existing teachers for the current academic year and that orders to this effect were issued by ITDP project officers based on directions from the Scheduled Tribes Development Department.
The former chief minister claimed that 241 teachers in Wayanad, 50 in Palakkad and 17 in Malappuram had lost their jobs, despite many having served for nearly nine years. He argued that the decision would disrupt the education of tribal students.
Describing the mentor teacher initiative as one of the most progressive measures introduced by the LDF government in 2016, Vijayan said Kerala was the first state in the country to implement such a support system specifically for tribal students.
He said the programme enabled teachers from tribal communities to communicate with students in their native languages, helping reduce dropout rates and improve learning outcomes. At the same time, it created employment opportunities for educated tribal youth and contributed to the social and economic upliftment of tribal families, he added.
Vijayan noted that many of the teachers belonged to some of the most marginalised tribal communities, including Adiya, Paniya, Kattunaikka and Oorali groups. He also said they had remained actively involved in school-related activities, including student enrolment drives, even during the vacation months.
The former chief minister said the dismissed teachers were now protesting and urged the government to accept their demands and reinstate them.
