The history of VHSE dates back to 1991, when it was started in the aided sector. The teething troubles confronted by the non vocational lecturers of the VHSE are not yet fully tided over. However, the Non Vocational Lecturers Association (NVLA), the brainchild of Mr. Shaji Parippally, has bailed the teaching community out of many a crisis / has resolved many a crisis that loomed large before the non vocational lecturers.
The founder and General Secretary of this vibrant organization, Shaji Parippally, rules the roost. The organization was formally registered in 1997 (Reg. No. GO (RT) No.1151/97/G. Edn dtd 5/4/1997) though it took shape as early as 1992. The first formal meeting of the NVLA was well-attended and P.K.Roy, K.P.Joseph, Mathew, Babu Vadanappally, M.P.Manoj, Jayamohan K.P., Jeevan K.P., Ismail, Ganeshkumar, Jayamohan, Sasikumar, Binu P.Thayil, Mohandas N.V., Hena, Usha etc were among those assembled, to name a few. The meeting was held at KSM VHSS, Edavattom.
The meeting was convened to plan agitation against the Rs.1000/ consolidated pay that was offered to the lecturers. The organization has gone from strength to strength ever since it's inception in 1992 and has been at the forefront of establishing the rights of non-vocational lecturers. Appointed on a consolidated pay of Rs.1000/- per month, a measly amount for the huge task before them, the non-vocational lecturers had a bitter breaking in. The agitation for a scale of pay is a landmark in the glorious march of this organization. The members of the organization staged an indefinite hunger strike before the Government Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram from 4/7/1995.
The adamant stance of the striking teachers led to the announcement of the scale of pay of Rs.2000-3000/- by the then Minister for Education Sri. E.T. Mohammad Basheer. However, increment was not sanctioned along with that. So the organization appealed before the government and had an increment sanctioned through Circular No. 58119/T397/dated 18/3/1998. When the vocational lecturers were given a scale of 2060 – 3200, the non vocational lecturers were given only the scale 2000 – 3000.
The NVLA demanded parity in pay scales and after many representations were submitted to the concerned authorities the scale was elevated with the basic pay of Rs.6675/- on par with that of Higher Secondary School Teachers and vocational lecturers. Notional fixation, commencement of PF and sanctioning Pay Revision Arrears are just a few of the feathers in our cap. The organization filed an O.P. with the Honorable High Court of Kerala, and thereby the government has agreed to consider favorably the case of those who worked at Rs.1000/- per month. Through GO (RT) 990/2001/dated 15/3/2001 it was declared that the period would be regarded as countable service with all benefits with the exclusion of only monetary advantage.
PF is essential to ensure the continued financial security of employees. The NVLA through its various petitions demanded for the commencement of PF and through GO (MS) 419/2000/dated 11/12/2000 the government issued orders for the same. It is only proper to fight for ones rights and to claim what is rightfully yours. In 1997 Pay Revision Arrears was credited to the PF accounts and for those who had not started contributing to the PF, the amount would be kept pending with the exchequer. O.P. was filed with the Honorable High Court of Kerala, and the Court ordered the government to pay the arrears in cash. A major breakthrough is the favorable orders regarding the post of Principal and Time bound Higher Grade from the High Court of Kerala, though the final decision is pending with the government of Kerala.