6L teachers may not get paid this month, say school bodies

Nagpur: School owners associations have been continuously warning of a financial crisis. They now say six lakh teachers in Maharashtra may not get salaries this month. Independent English Schools Association (IESA), a pan-Maharashtra group and Nagpur-based Unaided Schools Welfare Association (USWA) have issued separate statements highlighting their plight due to non-payment of pending fees.
Rajendra Dayma, president of IESA, said the monthly cash requirement for salaries was close to Rs 120 crore. “We are looking at salaries of six lakh teachers, 80,000 drivers plus one lakh non-teaching staff. On average, 40% fee is still pending with parents as many of them pay once final exams begin. This year we could not conduct final exams due to lockdown,” said Dayma.
He added that if the moratorium was not lifted immediately then ‘extreme measures’ will have to be taken. “Job cuts will be a reality across the state because there is no way we can sustain the financial burden. Already many schools have not received their RTE 25% quota reimbursements which is adding to our woes. I hope education minister Varsha Gaikwad will solve the problem,” said Dayma.
USWA’s chairperson Neeru Kapai too issued a statement saying fee moratorium was the main reason for their financial plight. “Many schools are having huge number of defaulters even after having completed the full academic year before the pandemic outbreak. Schools are struggling to pay summer salaries, maintaining facilities and keep the system functioning,” said the statement.
The association also urged the government to release standard operating procedures for schools to follow once everything reopens. USWA said they all need to know what is the exit (lockdown) strategy and what SOP would be in place if a student is tested positive.
USWA expressed surprise parents were petitioning for abolishment of fee. “When countries like UK and Germany make it compulsory for the students to pay fees for the term they have been taught, here the parents are petitioning the government to abolish fees. When the parents asked for a moratorium to pay the fees, the administration and department granted it. Many who have not paid a paisa till date for the whole year are happy that the pandemic appeared at the end of the academic session when everything for the year is over,” the statement added.