CHENNAI: A single mother of two girls, private school teacher Vinitha Ramanan has been struggling to make ends meet ever since the pandemic began. Having worked as a teacher for two decades, she is now forced to search for alternatives. Though schools have reopened, teachers like Vinitha continue to switch between online and offline classes due to the rains, adding to their hardships.
“When the pandemic began in 2020, a lot of teachers lost their jobs and my pay was cut by half. I was initially earning Rs 17,000 a month and now, I earn Rs 8,500. This is not even sufficient to provide three meals a day,” said Vinitha. With no money left for commute, Vinitha has opted for online classes for both her children. They now juggle and use a single phone to attend their classes.
“We thought the issue will settle once the schools reopen. A lot of parents are still not paying fees saying the schools are hardly conducting any classes. The plight of elementary class teachers is worse as most of them either went through job cuts or are earning only 20 per cent of their original salaries,” said Shifa Ahmed, who is working at a school in Egmore.
Hundreds of teachers in private schools have been fighting to survive due to Covid-related pay and job cuts. A large number of them are forced to take up alternative jobs due to added pressure. During the second wave, Jennifer, who was working as Computer Science teacher at a private school at West Mambalam, lost her job. “Ever since then, life has been a struggle.
In the beginning, we had 50 per cent pay cut and gradually the school stopped allotting me online classes. Later, I was handed the termination letter. Being the only breadwinner for a family of two, including my mother, I was in for a rude shock,” she said.
Jennifer then started working as a door-to-door volunteer for the city corporation. “Since I was exposed to a lot of infected patients, my mother tested positive for Covid-19. It mentally wrecked me. I have been applying for job in each and every school possible. We have used up all our savings,” she said, adding that she has now started working as a house-help.
On the other hand, school principals state parents refusing to pay fees was the major reason for their fund crunch. With electricity bill, property tax, professional tax, Employees State Insurance, Provident Fund among a lot of other expenses to be paid apart from salaries, the schools are barely managing to function, they said.
‘Not paying fees reason for fund crunch’
While hundreds of teachers in private schools have been fighting to survive due to Covid-related pay and job cuts, school principals state the schools were having a major fund crunch as parents were refusing to pay fees. With electricity bill, property tax, professional tax, Employees State Insurance, Provident Fund among a lot of other expenses to be paid apart from salaries, the schools are barely managing to function, they said.