Child Rights Panel: No More Calling 'sir', 'madam' In Kerala Schools

NEW DELHI: The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) has instructed the state's schools to address school instructors as "teacher" instead of honorifics like "sir" or "madam" in an effort to encourage gender-neutral language in educational institutions.

The instruction was given after the child rights panel looked into a petition made by a person who wanted to stop calling teachers "sir" and "madam" based on their gender, according to reports. The Kerala Child Rights panel recommended using the term "teacher" instead of honorifics like "sir" or "madam" to refer to them.

According to sources, on Wednesday, a bench made up of panel chair K V Manoj Kumar and member C Vijayakumar instructed the General Education Department to issue directives directing the usage of the term "teacher" in all State-run schools. According to the Commission, shouting out "teacher" instead of "sir" or "madam" can assist maintain equality among the students of all schools and will also strengthen their bond with the instructors.

In an effort to break down barriers between ordinary people, a small village council in Kerala decided to abolish common greetings like "sir" or "madam" in its office setting in 2021. Sources claim that the Mathur village panchayat in this district in northern Kerala became the first local government in the nation to outlaw the use of such greetings, creating a distinctive reformation model for other local governments.

Regardless of political affiliation, everyone in our panchayat places a high value on fostering a welcoming environment at work. The Mathur Panchayat's vice president, P R Prasad, was reported by media as stating, "All of us had a notion that the salutations like sir or madam used to create a divide between us and those approaching us with their difficulties. 

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