Private teachers ask Telangana govt to resume aid

HYDERABAD: Around 2.1 lakh teaching and non-teaching staff working in around 10,000 private recognised schools in the state are living in extreme poverty as the managements of these schools stopped paying them salaries. In Hyderabad alone, 2,041 schools are in this category.

Even these schools failed to generate revenues as students are not bothered to pay fees. According to these schools, 90 percent of students have not paid the fees for the last academic year, because they got the assurance of getting promoted to the higher classes without any exams.

From the time of the first nationwide lockdown, the private schools were hit hard. Though the state government extended an aid of Rs 2,000 and 25 kgs rice to the staff of these schools, it lasted only for only three months. Now these employees request the government to resume the same help.

Representatives of the Hyderabad District Recognised School Management Association, who met on Saturday, requested the government for the exemption of property taxes, water bills and electricity bills, during the period of closure of schools.

Srikanth, a teacher at Durga School, Marredpally, said, “We teachers are badly hit by Covid-19 crisis. The government failed to save us. When the government gives so much aid to many communities, why doesn’t it extend any help to teachers?”

Fatima Ellena, another teacher, said, “The three months’ aid from the government helped us, but now most of the teachers are helpless as managements are not paying the salaries.”

Sadulo Madhusudhan, general secretary of the association and correspondent for Pragathi Vidyaniketan School, said, “On April 9, the state government announced, through a memo that the teaching and non-teaching staff working in private recognised schools would be provided with Rs 2,000, along with 25 kg of rice till the schools reopen. As per the promise, the government delivered the above for three months starting from April.” However, the government stopped its support, he said, adding that the association requested the government to resume the same help for teachers till the situation became normal.

“Our school has a strength of 1,400 students out of which only 400 are attending online classes. Only less than 50 percent paid the fees,” he said.
Umamaheswa Rao, president, said, “Our demand is to resume the assistance for these teaching and non-teaching staff. Also, online attendance should be made compulsory for the students as well examinations should be considered to get promoted to the next class. The government should consider level-wise reopening of schools.”