Pandemic has been a stressful period for teachers  

HYDERABAD :  A survey conducted  on 220 teachers in Hyderabad has revealed that 100 percent of the teachers have used all their life savings so far. The report throws light on how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the mental, physical and financial health of teachers from 50 budget private schools in the city. The study, conducted by Bharat Dekho which is a youth organisation working on civic issues, also found that 50 percent of the teachers have taken over Rs 30,000 loan from relatives.

On Tuesday morning, a team from the organisation distributed ration for teachers whose income range is between Rs 3000 and Rs 10,000 a month. When asked why the study was conducted on teachers from private budget schools only, the co-founder of Bharat Dekho said: “Everything is open now except schools. Even though classes for 9th and 10th grades are being conducted, most of the parents have not paid fees so far. Hence the principals are unable to pay the salaries of teachers in these schools.

A large section of these are women between 18-40 years who are the sole earners of their families. They are feeling hopeless and are highly vulnerable to stress.” 

• Along with these insights, the survey has captured personal stories of people fighting challenges posed by the pandemic. Several of these teachers also live in low-lying areas in the city and have been badly affected by the floods. 
• Bharat Dekho’s plan is to engage these teachers in some employment by working on the idea of micro-schooling where each teacher will teach students in their own communities through modes other than classroom teaching.

The average income of the teachers before lockdown was Rs 6,500 per month
The average income of the teachers after the lockdown is Rs 2,500 per month
64.3% of the teachers stay in a rented house and of them, 90 % are yet to pay rent for five months
81 % of the teachers don’t have health insurance or life insurance 
76 % of the teachers are looking for a job and are willing to go for lower pay

— Kakoli Mukherjee kakoli_mukherjee@newindianexpress.com @KakoliMukherje2