Pay ₹27,500 Honorarium To Pre-Primary School Teachers & ₹22,500 To Ayahs: Kerala High Court Directs State Govt

The above order was passed in writ petitions filed by pre-primary school staff (teachers and ayahs) of PTA run schools, who approached the Court seeking for issuance of orders formulating service conditions including the scale of pay in par with the teachers of Government run pre-school.

It is to be noted that, as of now, the pre-primary teachers were paid an honorarium of rupees twelve thousand five hundred and ayahs were paid rupees seven thousand five hundred per month.

Justice Harisankar V. Menon ordered thus “The Teachers/Ayahs to be paid an honorarium of Rs.27,500/- and Rs.22,500/- respectively, effective from March 2025 onwards, to be disbursed from April 2025. Escalation as above to have retrospective effect from 01.08.2012 and Government to disburse arrears within six months time.”

The pre-primary staff (teachers and ayahs) are appointed by the PTA after following due selection process and interviews.

For context, on August 01, 2012, the Division of the High Court (WA No. 205/2011) observed that the work of pre-primary school teachers was equally noble and demanding as that of primary school teachers, who receive higher salaries. The Court noted the relevance of Pre-Primary education and as an interim measure, directed the government to pay pre-primary teachers a salary of five thousand rupees and ayahs three thousand five hundred rupees until a final decision was made. This honorarium has since been raised to twelve thousand five hundred rupees per month for pre-primary teachers and seven thousand five hundred rupees for ayahs.

The petitioners alleged that even after the order in the writ appeal, the respondents paid the pre-primary school staff a meagre honorarium instead of salary or wages. It was stated that the Government has not formulated service rules for pre-primary school teachers until now and that a decision should also be taken by the Government for a reasonable pay fixation.

The petitioners further alleged that there was apparent unreasonableness in not paying the same scale of pay for them, when compared to pre-primary teachers at Government run schools, given that they have the same qualifications and are doing the same work.

The Court noted that the Government issued an order in April 2022 stating that until the National Educational Policy of 2020 was not implemented Kerala, there cannot be formulation of service conditions for the Petitioners. The Court observed that the aforesaid order of the government was unsustainable and thus quashed it.

The Court took note of the fact that a Primary teacher is paid pay band of Rs.25,000 - 54,000. It thus stated that a reasonable amount has to be paid to the petitioners also.

Court stated, “It is known to everyone that manual labourer gets atleast Rs.1,000/- a day. This Court cannot equate the manual labourer with the present petitioners (Teachers/Ayahs) who are the foundations, with respect to the formation of every individual in the country.”

The Court stated that the increased honorarium must be paid from the date of the judgment passed in writ appeal, that is, from August 01, 2012. The Court ordered for the increased honorarium and arrears to be paid within six months.

As such, the writ petition was disposed of.

Counsel for Petitioners: Senior Advocates George Poonthottam, Abraham Vakkanal

Counsel for Respondents: Special Government Pleader Santhosh Kumar

Case Title: Kamakshikutty K.P V State Of Kerala

Case No: WPC 5298/2020

Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Ker) 88