The decision covers 245 teachers who lost jobs between 2015 and 2021, ensuring their reinstatement.

In addition, approximately 30,000 teachers currently employed in aided schools will now have job security even if student numbers drop, a move aimed at stabilising the workforce despite falling birth rates and shrinking class sizes in public and aided schools.

Also read | Renowned Nephrologist KV Johny, who led India's first kidney transplant, passes away

The Cabinet decision, made on Friday, comes against the backdrop of a persistent decline in student numbers in public schools, which has traditionally led to reductions in teacher positions. While government schools already had safeguards in place for teachers, aided schools lacked similar rules from the 2015/16 academic year, leading to over 500 job losses within a decade. Teacher associations and pro-government organisations had raised complaints to address this issue.

Also read | ₹10 breakfast, ₹30 lunch: Kochi Corporation launches Indira canteen

Mechanisms for job protection:

• When appointing head teachers, there is currently a provision to fill a vacancy in their teaching position. Teachers who have lost their jobs can be appointed to these vacancies.
• Kerala has 1,385 cluster coordinator positions under the Samagra Shiksha Kerala programme, which can be used for appointments.
• If aided schools have extra sanctioned posts, teachers can be assigned here without any restrictions.
• Teachers can also be appointed as trainers in the Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test (K-TET) programs.

Employee organisations had complained that although there are more than 3,000 vacancies available in various places to reappoint teachers who lost their jobs, the government was not utilising them. It is in this context that the Cabinet has now taken a favourable decision. Under this provision, if a post is unavailable at one school, school managers are mandated to appoint the teacher at another school.