Teachers and subject matter experts in Kerala, who dedicated their time to developing textbooks for the school curriculum revision between 2023 and 2024, are still waiting for their promised allowances from the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). The Kerala SCERT Textbook Writers and Trainers Forum has voiced strong accusations against the council for these significant delays.
Approximately 800 educators have been involved in this crucial process over the past two years. Beyond writing textbooks, their responsibilities include creating comprehensive teacher handbooks, developing modules for teacher training, and spearheading these training sessions. However, with many not having received even half of the allowances due for the workshops they attended, these dedicated teachers are now hesitant to complete the teacher texts. This reluctance directly harms classroom instruction. For example, in mathematics for Class X students, the SCERT has only released teacher texts for three out of five units required for the first term, and similar shortfalls are observed across various other subjects.
The forum highlights that the SCERT Director had assured them in April that all outstanding payments would be settled in stages. Yet, with five months having passed and teachers still awaiting their dues, the forum announced on Tuesday their plans to initiate protests and pursue legal action if the situation is not resolved promptly.