Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant move that could reshape the structure of teachers' unions across Kerala, the state government has announced its plan to conduct a referendum in public schools as a precursor to overhauling union representation and completing the long-proposed integration of high school and higher secondary education. The proposal, now set in motion through an amendment to the Kerala Education Rules (KER), has sparked a wave of anxiety among independent and category-based teacher organizations, who fear their survival is at stake.
The official explanation from the government is that the referendum aims to ensure administrative efficiency in the education sector by streamlining the currently fragmented union landscape. However, critics argue the plan is politically charged, designed to consolidate influence for Left-backed teachers’ unions such as the Kerala School Teachers Association (KSTA) and the All Kerala School Teachers Union (AKSTU) both widely recognized as close to the ruling CPI(M).
Presently, the process of forming a teachers’ organization is relatively open: interested groups need only apply to the Department of General Education and secure approval from the Secretary. This policy has allowed a pluralistic ecosystem of 42 registered teachers’ organizations, spanning head teachers, aided and government school teachers, and category-specific unions in higher secondary education. Several are also based on language specialization and other subject-focused criteria.
If the referendum framework is enforced, many of these groups risk disbandment. As per the new proposal, the strength and legitimacy of organizations will be tested across ten categories including primary and secondary education, aided and government schools, language teachers, sports and specialist teachers, and higher secondary education. For an organization to qualify for government recognition, it must demonstrate at least 10% influence in each category and show majority support in seven out of the ten.
This rigid benchmark is expected to marginalize smaller and independent teachers' unions, making room predominantly for politically powerful organizations. In response, the major Left-affiliated unions have argued that the education system should be considered as a single block spanning Classes 1 to 12, demanding a consolidated referendum instead of segmented categorization a move that could effectively dilute the representation of niche and specialized teaching bodies.
While the government maintains that the referendum is necessary to create a more manageable and cohesive union framework especially in the context of the ongoing school integration efforts dissenting voices within the education sector and opposition parties argue that the true intent is to sideline dissenting voices and centralize union power under political influence.
As the education department gears up to implement the referendum process, debate is intensifying over its fairness, timing, and implications for teachers' rights, democratic representation, and the ideological independence of public education in Kerala. Many educationists and civil society groups are now calling for a transparent public consultation before such sweeping changes are introduced.