Call to resolve expatriates' Equivalence Certificate issue

Thiruvananthapuram: Pravasi Welfare Forum, a body of expatriates in the United Arab Emirates has asked Kerala government and universities in the state to intervene in the matter of equivalence of qualification of Keralite teachers working in UAE.

A memorandum with this demand was submitted by a delegation of Pravasi Forum to Kerala Governor Justice P Sathasivam. As per a recent UAE law, graduates and postgraduates who secured their degree by distance education/private registration are not able to produce equivalence certificate as required by the said law.

In Kerala, universities do not make a distinction between regular students and those who secure degree via private registration, in either the syllabus or examinations. However, since the certificates of the latter state the mode of study as 'Private', they fail to get equivalence certificate, and thus become ineligible to work as teachers.

If this matter remains unsolved, over 1,000 teachers who work in the UAE, will lose their jobs by 30 Sep, the deadline for production of the certificate.

Since other sectors of employment are also likely to see introduction of this law, there are chances of more job losses. It is reported that other Gulf countries may also follow suit.

The memorandum requests Kerala Government to send a delegation to the UAE ministries concerned and apprise them of the facts and get the matter resolved.

The memorandum was also submitted to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Education Minister C Ravindranath, Higher Education Minister KT Jaleel, and vice chancellors of Kerala, MG, Calicut and Kannur universities. The delegation included Surendran Karippuzha, State General Secretary-Welfare Party, State President of Pravasi Welfare Forum Razack Paleri, General Secretary Hasanul Banna and Sirajuddeen Shameem.