THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The teachers' union AKSTU is organizing a convention in every district to protest against the government's decision not to give honorarium to pre-primary teachers and helpers.

Last month, it was ordered not to pay honorarium to pre-primary teachers and helpers appointed after July 2012. The strike demands to reconsider this decision and to increase the honorarium of pre-primary employees and nurses.

There are 4800 LP schools in the state with pre-primary section. Of these, about 3,000 schools were started since 2012. It has about 3000 teachers and helpers. The current situation is that they all have to work without payment. PTA pays salary to these teachers. Pre-primary teachers play an important role in attracting children to public schools. According to the Department of Education, the government had announced in 2012 that no pre-primary schools will be allowed. During the last LDF government, an honorarium of Rs.1000 per month was announced for them in the budget it was not implemented. The new order was passed after this.

Current Salary (for those up to 2012): Teachers - Rs 10,500 and for helpers Rs 6,500

It has not been decided to deny the honorarium of pre-primary teachers. Honorarium has been paid to all those before 2012. The rest will definitely be paid if the amount is allocated in the next budget. I was part of that organization. I am well aware of their plight, said V. Shivankutty, Minister of Education