Teachers in govt music colleges get meagre salaries

Teachers in govt music colleges get meagre salaries
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Gross negligence on the part of Department of Culture in the State has been taking toll on the teaching in the government run classical music and dance colleges and schools in the State. What is most shocking is that they earn a meagre salary of Rs 1,500 per month which is much less than what a labourer earns under MGNREGA.

Hyderabad: Gross negligence on the part of Department of Culture in the State has been taking toll on the teaching in the government run classical music and dance colleges and schools in the State. What is most shocking is that they earn a meagre salary of Rs 1,500 per month which is much less than what a labourer earns under MGNREGA.

Take for example the five decades old famous Sri Thyagaraja Government Music and Dance College (STGMDC) in Ramkote in city. It has contract teaching staff with post graduate qualifications in the subject. The situation is no better in other colleges.

It may be noted that there is no dearth of students in the music colleges. Still the government has not been focussing attention for fresh recruitments or increasing the salaries of the teachers. According to a senior official, most of these colleges are running with much less than the sanctioned strength of teaching staff.

Almost all the music colleges and schools in the State are running with in-charge principles. There has been no replacement in the place of those who retired. The colleges are forced to depend on the contract teaching staff. Not just music teachers, even the dance teachers who teach Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi, and instrumental music like Veena and Sitar are working for pittance though they hold post graduate qualifications.

When contacted, a senior official from the Department of Culture said that contract teachers of Perini dance and flute are the only ones who are paid the highest with Rs 12,000 and Rs 5,000 per month.

As per the prescribed norms, the class strength in vocal music is 20 and in case of instrumental music it should be 10. But, the current student strength per class has touched 100 at Ramkoti music college. The contract teaching staff has been taking about six classes in a day as against prescribed two classes.

Sources said nearly 680 students have already applied for various courses during the current academic year for which admission are going on.

The college has been offering four-year certificate and two year diploma courses in Carnatic vocal and Carnatic violin, veena, mridangam, Hindustani vocal, sitar, tabla, flute dolu in the music stream. Besides, Kuchipudi, Bharatanaytam, Perini and Kathak dances are taught.

Following the retirement of a senior teacher, course in Nadaswaram is not being offered from the current academic year.

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