Hyderabad: TRSMA, NISA seek aid balm for budget schools

Hyderabad: The budget schools in Telangana have suffered the most due to shut down on account of Covid. During the 18 months more number were committed by educationists due to financial problems because of the indefinite closure of schools.

The Telangana Recognized School Management Association (TRSMA), along with the National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA), organised a conference on Tuesday and demanded financial support from the State government.

The associations demanded an ex-gratia amount from the government. They also urged the RBI and the Centre to come up with solutions to help the budget schools across the country, including security-free loans.

Addressing the conference, Dr Kulbhushan Sharma, national president of NISA said, "There are many reports that hundreds of educationists of private and budget school owners/correspondents are committing suicides across the country.

We demand an ex-gratia amount to be announced by the government. Educators have suffered a lot in the pandemic, but there is no support from the government. We have planned a protest by educationists across the country under the banner of NISA on September 5, on the eve of Teachers day to seek the Prime Minister's attention and the State government.

Y Shekar Rao, president of TRSMA, said, "It is high time the State government and the Centre should consider the economic crisis faced by the budget private schools due to non-collection of fee. Hardly the schools are receiving 10 per cent fee.

The Alliance has sent representations to the concerned officials many times but didn't get any response. The government took some initiatives to save other sectors, like traders but why not educators. The government should provide loans at lowest interest rate through all banks in the country to private schools which are facing financial crisis as schools have been shut for well over 18 months and are left without any income sources.

He stated that the financial support of Rs 2,000 a month and 25 kg rice extended to private schools gave some relief to teachers. But it was done only for three months April, May and June. The help for July and August is yet to materialise.

Even if educational institutions are to be open from September 1, it will take a fortnight for schools to gear up to open, as many teaching and non-teaching staff have left in search of gainful employment. An estimated 3,500 schools, particularly in rural areas, are likely to be shut down. They can be saved if the government acts swiftly.