Hyderabad: Most private school teachers in the country have not able to meet the monthly expenses for their families for the last three months. It is reported that there are over 66 lakh teachers of private schools in India and almost all are facing severe crises due to the Lockdown.
According to a case study conducted on teachers who have suffered due to lockdown: As per government data, there were 65, 66,687 private teachers in India in 2015-16. With Lockdown, most students will not pay the fees and a majority of these teachers will not get their salaries from the month of March till the schools reopen in June. An average private school teacher earns between 5,000 to 15,000 a month and their survival for the next 3 months without salary, priority ration cards or support from any NGO or philanthropist will be a miracle.
CMIE data shows that 5 crore people have lost their jobs in just two weeks of the lockdown and many of them will be from the Neo Poor.
Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA) has launched a Financial Support Programme for Teachers of Private Schools who have not received their salaries since March 2020. In turn, the Managements of Schools have agreed to allow two students to study free for the next year. This will prevent dropout from Schools expected due to economic consequences of COVID-19 and Lockdown, said Mazher Hussain, Executive Director of COVA.
Some Teachers, Members of School Management and Representatives of COVA explains the programme that could be of benefit to teachers of private schools, students, management, and society at large when dropout rates in schools are checked.
“We are in a horrible situation. I am the only member of my family earning Rs. 15,000 per month with an ailing father with lung and liver infection. With no salary since March, it is very difficult to buy medicines or even food for the family. I had to borrow money at 5% interest per month and do not know how long we will be able to survive on this money. We cannot tell anyone about our distress and there is no support from the government or anyone for people like us. Political leaders also do not care about us at all.” Mr. Narasing Nayak, Mathametics Teacher, New St. Maria High School, Falaknuma, Hyd. Lower Middle Classes or the Neo Poor
Mr. Syed Mohsin Ali and his wife work at Zahra High School in Hyderabad together earning about Rs. 15000 per month. They have a 7 month old child born pre mature and his wife is afflicted with polio. Both wife and child need regular medication of about 1000 rupees per month. They have a small own house but have to purchase water even for daily use costing about 500 per week.
Mr. Ali says the Lockdown was sudden and we were caught totally of the guard. Both husband and wife have not received their salaries since March and are surviving on loans from neighbors and some support from their school principal. We have no white ration card and cannot stand in a queue on the road to take material being distributed- We are living from day to day and do not know from where the next meal will come laments Mr. Ali.