Kakinada: Teachers starve while schools bully students for fee payment

Kakinada: Covid has not only affected health of some people but also brought misery to many, particularly private school teachers who turned either jobless or underpaid.

During the pandemic, though the private school managements are collecting fees from the students, they are reluctant to pay salaries regularly to teachers. While a section of private teachers lost their jobs, the remaining have been conducting the online classes for survival.

In corporate schools where classes are being held online, the teachers have been getting half of the salary only. But the managements on the other hand, are collecting full fee from the students.

Only experienced teachers with computer skills are retained and others are being sacked. All the non-teaching staff is given marching orders.

G Naga Hymavathi, a teacher who lost her job at a private school, said that she has no source of income either from the government or private institution. "We are keeping our families on the brink of starvation owing to nonpayment of salaries by the private managements. The government is totally apathetic towards the suffering of the teachers belonging to private management schools," she said.

According to sources, the education department has not renewed more than 100 schools in the district and the parents are in a dilemma whether they continue their children in unrecognised schools or not. However, the schools which have not yet renewed are conducting online classes and exerting pressure on the parents to pay arrears of the present and past academic years. The school managements have been exhibiting new fee structure and asking the parents to pay the first installment for the current academic year 2021-22.

On the other hand, private schools have their own grievances and excuses for nonpayment of salaries. When asked about nonpayment of salaries to staff, they pour out their woes as if they are who are victims not their staff.

Andhra Pradesh Private School Association East Godavari district president Muthukumilli Srivijay said that the closure of the institutes during the Covid crisis is casting a heavy financial burden on the managements. During the lockdown and curfew, all private managements suffered financially and faced a critical period. They have not recovered from the loss till today.

He demanded that the government extend renewal of the private schools unconditionally without any further delay.

District Education Officer S Abraham told 'The Hans India' that there are 1800 private schools in the district. Some of the schools have not submitted proper documents and fulfilled the guidelines to get renewals of their schools. These schools would not be permitted to take admissions and new enrolments. If these schools are either conducting online classes or taking new admissions and collecting fees, they will take stringent action against them, he warned.