Visakhapatnam: Mounting expenses haunt budget schools

Visakhapatnam: With mounting expenses on one side and enrollment falling flat on the other, budget schools find the going tough in times of corona pandemic.

While 40 per cent of the fee pertaining to the last academic year yet to be collected, lack of clarity on new admissions for current academic year is another challenge, many numbers of schools' experience.

Ever since the lockdown came into force, several school managements ended up paying 50 per cent salaries to the staff. In some institutions, teachers were asked to discontinue working until they were called for.

In a few cities, teachers were seen selling vegetables, fruits and even footwear to make both ends meet. But those who are unable to manage household expenses or engage in other line of work slipped into depression.

While tough days are being experienced by the teachers, the ordeals faced by school managements double up.

Many budget schools are neck deep in debts. Though income has come to a standstill, expenses such as rent, salaries to staff, electricity bill and other maintenance costs are to be met. Some of the managements have been served a notice to vacate the premises as they were unable to pay the rent regularly.

Unable to overcome the losses incurred, the correspondents at one of the schools in Gajuwaka and PM Palem in Visakhapatnam and the one in Narasaraopeta, Guntur district, who had run the school for 28 years, were among a few who took an extreme step in the recent past.

"About 40 per cent of the last academic year's school fee is yet to be collected. There is no clarity on when the new academic year will commence. Unless online classes resume even for budget schools, it is difficult to meet the mounting expenses for current academic year," laments M V Rao, district president of Andhra Pradesh Private Unaided Schools Management Association.

There are over 14,000 budget schools across the state. In Visakhapatnam alone, 1,800 such institutions are in financial crisis. "When parents were asked to pay the fee for previous academic year, most of them said that they would pay once they get the Amma Vodi scheme amount credited. Though the scheme amount was credited in January, majority of parents utilised the funds for festival requirements. Thus, the fee arrears of previous academic year remain uncleared," rues P Lakshmana Swamy, Principal of Swamy Vidyaniketan High School.

With government schools gearing up for a facelift under the Naadu-Nedu scheme, getting admissions in private schools turn out to be a challenging task for the management. As a result, 20 to 30 per cent of budget schools intend to down shutters in future.