Telangana: Schools to lay off 2 lakh contract teachers

HYDERABAD: With no clarity on when the 2020-21 academic year will commence, private school managements in the state have decided not to renew contracts of teachers.

Telangana Recognized Managements Association (TRSMA), which has over 10,000 school managements as members, has also decided not to pay salaries starting from the month of May and has attributed the move, which will affect over two lakh teachers, to non-collection of fee dues.
“We will hire the required teachers only before the new academic year begins,” said Shekar Rao Y, president, TRSMA, and added that presently most schools only have a teaching staff or two to look after admissions and clerical work, along with a security personnel.
“We are willing to conduct online classes at free of cost to all school students, but unless the state supports us, we won’t be able to pay teachers,” said Rao.
Teachers said that this move will severely affect them, with many families struggling to survive due to the pandemic and its subsequent impact on multiple sectors. “Although schools take a count of how many teachers are willing to work next year before the class 10 exams, they don’t pay us during the summer vacation. However it was just two months of no pay. This year, there is no guarantee on when the academic year will begin and nearly two lakh teachers will have to go without salary,” said Shabir Ali, president, Telangana Private Teachers Forum.
He added that teachers working in over 10,000 recognised schools and about 8,000 unrecognised schools are currently without job. Members of Private Teachers and Lecturers Union, AP, also confirmed that teachers working in various private institutes in the state have lost their jobs and many will go without any income at least until October.