Thiruvananthapuram: In an unusual agitation, the lower primary school teacher rank holders, protesting the delay in implementing appointments from the Public Service Commission (PSC) rank list, ate grass in front of the Secretariat on Saturday.The candidates said they were forced to intensify the agitation as they received no assurance from govt on their demands. “We studied hard and cleared the examination. We never expected that we would have to sit here and eat grass,” said the candidates, expressing hope that govt would respond favourably.The protesters are demanding a reduction in the teacher-student ratio, creation of new posts and bringing appointments in aided schools under the PSC. They said their demands were legitimate and aimed at creating more employment opportunities for qualified candidates.Govt held discussions with the agitation committee seven times, but no decision has been reached so far. Govt reportedly asked the candidates to withdraw the protest and offered a two-month salary provision as part of its proposal. However, the protesters refused to accept the offer.In five districts, candidates who secured the first rank in the PSC list have also been unable to secure appointments. The agitation has been going on for nearly a month, but govt hasn’t accepted the protesters’ key demands.According to the protesters, a decline in student enrolment is being cited as a major obstacle to the creation of new teaching posts. They argue that reducing the teacher-student ratio to 1:25 would help create additional posts and provide employment to at least some candidates on the rank list.
