Kerala Pvt school teachers lead the way: Announce period leave, openings for transgender persons

Private school teachers in Kerala are leading by example. A forum for unaided private schools, the All Kerala Self-Financing Schools Federation (AKSFSF), has now announced a one-day paid period leave for women employees. The private school teachers’ body has also announced that they are open to hiring transgender persons in schools.

AKSFSF president Ramadas Kathiroor made the announcements at a press conference held in Kozhikode on Monday.

He said that this would be implemented from August 1, in 1200 private schools across Kerala.

Ramadas said that there are about one lakh teachers working in private schools in Kerala, and added that this decision was taken since most of the teachers in the private sector are women. The federation informed that teachers can take leave on any day of the menstrual cycle and that it need not be the first day.

“The social taboo with regard to menstruation is gradually disappearing. The idea of menstrual leave has already garnered widespread support and now we too have become a part of the movement,“ Ramadas said, as per a report in The Times of India.

It was Malayalam media giant Mathrubhumi which took the lead and decided to provide period leave to its women employees for the first time in Kerala.

While period leave exists in countries like Indonesia, Japan and South Korea, it is a new concept in India.

The other significant announcement Ramadas made was with regard to appointment of transgender persons as teachers. He said that if there are eligible candidates, AKSFSF would be appointing transgender teachers as well in schools, with the aim of bringing them into the mainstream.

Read: 'Humiliated in earlier jobs, will get dignity now': Transgender persons to work with Kochi Metro