The State government’s outreach programme Navakerala Sadas has received umpteen petitions seeking appointment of librarians to higher secondary schools.
Those who have completed the Library Information Science course and aspire for employment as librarians in government and aided higher secondary schools in the State say they have submitted petitions seeking appointment in schools at Navakerala Sadas counters in a chunk of constituencies in all 14 districts.
Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty had at the start of this academic year said that reading would be made part of continuous evaluation. Similarly, the Minister had declared last year that libraries would be modernised. Observances such as Reading Week are also conducted by the General Education department, and books purchased for school libraries through the Samagra Shiksha, Kerala. Yet, school libraries and those who have completed the Library Information Science course continue to suffer owing to delay in making appointments, they point out.
Librarians, they say, can do a lot to encourage reading habit of students, as well as guide them on research. However, in higher secondary schools, a language teacher is usually given additional charge of the library. The absence of a full-time librarian prevents effective functioning of libraries, and books often gather dust. Higher secondary classes have library hours, but students rarely have any idea what it entails.
Though Chapter 32 of the Kerala Education Rules provides for creation of grade IV librarian posts and a 2015 order by the General Education department cites a decision to create the posts in stages, no efforts have been made by the government for the same.
There have been court orders too, but the government had failed to act on them, forcing the job aspirants to file a contempt of court case that is still under way, they say.
It is also significant that the government charges ₹25 as library fee from each student at the start of the academic year.
Creation of Grade IV Librarian posts in higher secondary schools will provide employment to many job aspirants, they say, hoping for a reply from the General Education department to their petitions submitted at the Navakerala Sadas.
