The government's claim that it supports academicians seeking employment and provides maximum employment through the Public Service Commission (PSC) is contradicted by the reality reflected in the long rank lists. Despite active rank lists, there is a persistent tendency to bypass them in favor of hiring temporary staff en masse. The nature of these temporary appointments is widely known: they often serve as a backdoor for relatives, dependents and party loyalists. Even when academics on the rank list organize strikes, their efforts are futile. Powerful lobbies systematically subvert PSC appointments.

The qualifications required for teaching English in schools are clear. However, in many schools, English is taught by teachers with qualifications in other subjects. This is not due to a lack of English-educated people. Instead, the liability has been reduced over the years by hiring teachers on daily wages, casting a dark shadow over the future of qualified English teachers awaiting employment. Government schools are particularly notorious for this practice, with reports indicating that more than four hundred government schools lack even a single English teacher. Despite thousands of qualified English degree holders and B.Ed graduates waiting for employment, the government continues to rely on daily wage workers to teach English to children.

Qualified English graduates have approached the High Court multiple times and received favorable verdicts, yet the government remains unresponsive. A recent cabinet decision declared that temporary staff were sufficient for teaching English in schools, ignoring previous assurances to the court about appointing English B.Ed graduates. High Court, which intervened three years ago, had disposed of a petition based on the government's assurance that qualified English teachers would be appointed. As usual, the government broke its promise. This March, the court intervened again, and the government reiterated its assurances. The court's order to implement the verdict within four weeks has now been violated without any justification.

Kerala Education Rules stipulate that language subjects should be taught by individuals qualified in the respective language. However, the government itself is now breaking these rules. The Cabinet's decision to rely on daily wage earners for teaching English, while thousands of qualified candidates wait outside, is perplexing and unjustifiable. At a time when efforts are being made to raise the standards of learning in public schools, the government's casual approach to English education is alarming. It is unacceptable that people who cannot write four sentences in English are teaching in public schools. This issue goes beyond just hiring deserving young graduates; it is about ensuring that English classes are managed by qualified professionals to develop the essential language skills of our children.

The government must recognize the importance of appointing qualified English teachers to improve the quality of education and uphold its own rules. The current approach not only undermines the efforts of those who have worked hard to qualify but also jeopardizes the future of our students.