Catholic School Teacher Ends Life After Allegedly Not Receiving Salary for Six Years

Incident Overview

Aleena Benny, a 29-year-old teacher at St Joseph’s Lower Primary School in Kodenchery, Kozhikode district, Kerala, was found dead at her home on February 20, 2025. Aleena had been working at the school under the management of the Catholic Diocese of Thamarassery. Her family alleged that she had not received her salary for the past six years.

Background

Aleena had initially worked at Nazareth Lower Primary School at Kattippara, also under the Thamarassery diocese. She lost her job there when the previous teacher returned to the post. After intervention from her family, the management gave her a fresh posting at St Joseph’s Lower Primary School in June 2024. However, she was allegedly forced to give in writing that she did not want any salary for her five years of work at the previous school.

Family’s Allegations

Aleena’s father, Benny, stated that the school management was responsible for her death. He claimed that despite paying a significant amount to secure the job for his daughter, the management did not pay her any salary. The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) had to mobilize money for her daily bus fare as the management did not provide any financial support.

Management’s Response

Fr Joseph Varghese, manager of the Thamarassery diocese corporate educational agency, claimed that Aleena’s application for permanent appointment had been submitted to the education department but was stuck due to technical issues. He mentioned that several teachers were in a similar situation.

Investigation and Reaction

Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty expressed his condolences and stated that the director general of education had been asked to look into the incident. He assured that action would be taken once the report was received.

Conclusion

The tragic incident has sparked outrage and calls for accountability from the school management and the education department. Aleena’s family and colleagues have highlighted the negligence and mismanagement that led to her non-payment. The case has drawn attention to the plight of many teachers working under similar conditions in the region.