Karnataka: Private unaided schools must pay teachers, staff

MYSURU: In much relief for over 30,000 primary and secondary school teachers in private unaided schools who are facing job and salary uncertainties due to Covid-19, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) allowed schools to collect the first term instalment of annual fees from parents. School managements have to use this for mandatory payment of salaries to teaching and non-teaching faculty.
The DPI commissioner KG Jagadisha said, “Our latest order says schools can collect first-term instalment only.” He said the department didn’t fix the number of instalments for parents to pay fees.
It may be recalled that many school teachers were forced to shift to various minor works after the pandemic as schools closed for an indefinite period and private unaided school managements terminated their services in large numbers. The teachers are now demanding a relief package from the state government as a onetime measure.
According to the DPI circular, the first expense by schools using the firstterm fee instalment collected from parents shall be salary payment of teachers and non-teaching faculty. All school managements must ensure that the department doesn’t get any complaints in this matter.
According to the order, all schools must complete the admission process by September 30. The department asked its officials to ensure that all students will get admitted to schools and no one quits studies due to child marriage, child labour and other such reasons.
According to a teacher here, even though schools launched online classes, only a handful are paid salaries and others yet to get their salary from April. “For online classes, only a few teachers are utilised and they are paid 50% of their original salary. The rest are facing tough times,” she said.
However, private school managements made it clear that they are not in a position to pay salaries. “Schools have sacked 50% of their teachers, while the remaining 50% are working for half their original salary. Parents still are not coming forward to admit their children or pay fees. A majority of parents still owe last year’s fees. In this situation, we are not in a position to follow the government directive,” said D Shashikumar, general secretary, Karnataka Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools.