Now, salary cuts and forced leave for CBSE teachers too

Nagpur: Some big CBSE schools of the district have now started salary cuts, deferred pay and even unpaid forced leave for teachers. They are claiming that their operations are becoming financially unviable. Some CBSE school promoters told TOI that in some institutes fee collection is as low as 10% while the average is 50%.
The Independent English Schools’ Association (IESA) has claimed that over 1 lakh teachers have been affected by salary cuts across Maharashtra.“Many teachers have been sent on unpaid leave and all hiring activity has stopped. Around 30,000 teachers are hired every year in June, but that has not happened either,” said the association’s president Rajendra Dayma.
One teacher told TOI that it was unfair that in the fight between schools and parents, they are becoming victims. “Teachers have been working extremely hard all through the summer and now, we are adapting to online classes too. Despite our efforts, our salaries have been slashed by almost half,” said the teacher.
Another teacher said, “I have been asked to go on a forced unpaid leave. The principal says fee collection has dropped and hence, they cannot afford so many teachers.” There were at least a dozen such teachers whose names reached TOI, but they did not wish to speak about the issue even anonymously.
City-based Unaided Schools’ Welfare Association (USWA), an umbrella group for CBSE schools, may hold a crucial meet of their members next week and take some ‘drastic’ decision due to the financial crisis.
One of the USWA members said that because of a few ‘activists’, parents are getting misguided. “Jewellers, hoteliers and transporters are refusing to pay. Government and PSU employees and well-to-do professionals, too, are holding back fee payment citing false messages from these so-called activists. Show me one government resolution which says that fees have to be reduced or that parents don’t have to pay,” said the promoter who wished to remain anonymous as their meet is scheduled within a few days after August 15.
Another CBSE school promoter told TOI that he’s on the verge of ‘collapse’. “Till August 1, we have been able to cover only 40% of our expenses. I’m taking loans to tide over the crisis, but now, the next step is to to stop salaries for almost everyone,” said the owner.
He added, “This issue started towards the end of March with a confusing circular from the education department. It’s been more than four months and not a single parent or activist from Nagpur has approached the court. Why? Because they know that their arguments are not legally tenable.”