HYDERABAD: Teachers, especially from private educational institutes in Telangana, have been hit really hard by the pandemic. Job losses and reduced wages are among the many reasons due to which several members of the community are suffering. Many teachers claim that from being paid monthly, they are now being paid Rs 100-200 per lecture, at times just twice a week. In what is even more appalling, some also lament being forced to leave the profession due to the financial crisis and now work as daily wage workers or vegetable vendors.
There are 1.5 lakh private school teachers and around 50,000 non-teaching staff in the State. In April, the Telangana government had announced that teachers and staff of recognised private institutes would get Rs 2,000 and 25 kg of rice per month as assistance. However, since August, this aid has been stopped.
M Samita, (name changed), who teaches students of Classes I to V at a private institute, says the pandemic has become a never-ending nightmare for her. “Soon after online classes became the new normal, life for teachers of private institutes changed completely. Like me, many have seen a 60-70 per cent dip in their salary. Now, I get paid only `100 for each online lecture. Many of my colleagues have also lost their jobs as the school management is asking one teacher to teach multiple subjects.”
She added, “I have a family to feed, so I can’t question the management and subsequently lose my job. But I urge the government to step in and help the members of the community who are in a grave crisis.”
S Balram (name changed), 50, lost his job during the first wave itself. He said it was getting difficult for him to conduct lectures through an online medium so he had to quit his job.
“In the last one year, I have tried to take up multiple temporary jobs, but till now I don’t have a steady job. Currently, I am taking some tuition and doing odd jobs, but that is not sufficient for my family of five.”
With the financial aid and ration also being stopped, Balram wonders how he can manage to make both ends meet. “We urge the State government to continue the scheme for teachers until schools are reopened,” he said.
A member of the Telangana Recognised School Management Association, Shekhar Rao, said, “The pandemic has forced many teachers to change professions. Some are even forced to sell vegetables or become daily wagers.”