With very little savings, other teachers have been out of options on how their families will survive until things return to normal. Many are awaiting dues from the month of April,. (Representational)

In the past few weeks, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has forced a number of pre-schools in the city to shut shop, bringing with it another casualty: teachers without jobs.

Last week, the state government, in its Standard Operating Procedure for schools and junior colleges, announced a ban on online teaching for pre-primary till Class 2. Teachers have said this decision by the government has been the last nail in the coffin for many, who have been laid off by the school managements.

In an earlier letter to School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad, Early Childhood Association stated that over 9,000 pre-schools in Maharashtra will be affected by the ban on online classes for pre-primary till Class 2.

A pre-school and day care centre in the central suburbs catering to nearly 75 middle class and upper-middle class children recently broke the news to 10 of its teachers in a Zoom meeting. The teachers had spent the past two months working on hands-on activities for children for administering pre-recorded and interactive online classes for the new academic year.

“We were told that the school is not in a position to sustain itself and is now shutting down. With two grown up kids and my husband already having borne losses in the catering business, dealing with this news has been devastating,” said a teacher, adding that she was left with no option but to dip into the family’s savings. “I anyhow want to pay the college fees for my children. If I won’t pay as a parent, it could affect another teacher’s livelihood,” said the teacher who had been working in the school for the past four years.

With very little savings, other teachers have been out of options on how their families will survive until things return to normal. Many are awaiting dues from the month of April.

A prominent school with branches in Gorai and Kandivali West cracked the whip on over 50 of its contract staff across all sections. In the pre-primary section, about 10 teachers on probation in both branches were asked to resume “after schools start physically.” “We were told that our services won’t be needed since fewer teachers can manage online classes. We have not received any written communication and all directives have been verbal,” said a teacher whose daughter studies in the primary section of the same school. “How am I supposed to pay the fees of my daughter, whose expenses were managed on my salary,” the teacher asked.

Another teacher, on contract with the school since the past seven years, told The Indian Express, “We have run out of savings. On one hand, I’ve lost my job, while on the other, the school my child studies in has been forcing us to pay bus fees, tuition fees. We have been forced to make changes in our lifestyle and food habits.”

Moreover, parents of young children have not been too keen on renewing admissions for the new academic year. Many schools have reported dismal number of new admissions owing to the uncertainty regarding physical reopening of pre-schools. Day care centre model, usually associated with most pre-schools, has not been seen as a viable option in the light of the pandemic.

A pre-school with branches in Malad, Mulund and Thane, unable to bear the burden of monthly rent and teacher salaries, recently cut down its staff from 40 to 6 teachers. “We don’t see any admissions coming in. Due to financial issues, we could not hold on to our team. The inflow of cash stopped early on, and continuing beyond third lockdown didn’t seem possible. It could take another 6-8 months till we could open physically and we are not in a position to take risks,” said the owner, adding that the rent has been a major impediment.

Founder of Teachers Help Teachers, Rakhee Chhabria told The Indian Express, “We have been receiving distress calls and messages from all over India by teachers who have lost jobs. Every other day, a pre-school is forced to shut down. Whereas, some teachers have been made to call parents to ask for fees. This is not only sad, but also disgusting,” she said.

On Sunday, several educators, teachers and parents took to Twitter to promote “right to learn.” Educators have pointed out that the government advisory on online ban does not apply to private ed-tech companies, who continue selling content for pre-primary children. Several parents prefer to keep their children engaged in online learning, instead of allowing them to watch cartoons on television.