The delay in filling up the posts of librarians in government and aided higher secondary schools has affected the prospects of many who have completed Library Science course from universities in the State and outside.
According to candidates, librarian posts have been filled in around 2,000 government and aided schools under the Department of General Education. R. Renjith, an aspirant, said on Tuesday that the post of librarian had been included in the Higher Secondary Special Rules recognised by the Assembly in 2001. The government must formulate rules and initiate appointments, which had been pending for long, he said.
The aspirants pointed out that various education commissions appointed by the government had stressed the importance of appointing librarians in higher secondary schools. Librarians can play a key role in moulding the reading skills of students, besides guiding them in their higher education, they said.
Library Science graduates said the efficiency of libraries in schools could be improved by filling up vacancies. Owing to the absence of qualified librarians, most educational institutions put a teacher in charge of the library, they said.
The government had cited a financial liability of around ₹4.3 crore a year for creating librarian posts in government and higher secondary schools. It had also cited the financial crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic as another reason for the delay in approving the posts of librarians in higher secondary schools.
