Hyderabad: NGO goes to aid of private school teachers

Hyderabad: Private school teachers hailing are amongst the worst affected during the lockdown. Despite their economic deprivation, most do not have ration cards that can entitle them to free rations. They cannot reach out to others for help due to sense of middle-class dignity and others also feel hesitant to offer support.

According to a study, there is an average of 17 teachers in these schools with salaries ranging from Rs 4,000 to 15,000, mostly in the range of 10,000. Most have not received their salaries even for the month of March with the announcement of the Lockdown and are not likely to get till July or even August after the schools reopen and the students will pay their fees.

"We are in a horrible situation. I am the only member of my family who was earning Rs 15,000 per month with an ailing father with lung and liver infection. With no salary since March, it has been very difficult to buy medicines or even food for the family. I had to borrow money at 5% interest per month and do not know how long we will be able to survive on this money. We cannot tell anyone about our distress and there is no support from the government or anyone for people like us." Narasing Nayak, Mathametics Teacher, New St Maria High School, Falaknuma.

Syed Mohsin Ali and his wife work at Zahra High School together were earning about Rs 15000 per month. They have a 7-month old child born premature and his wife is afflicted with polio. Both wife and child need regular medication worth about Rs 1,000 per month. "We have no white ration cards and cannot stand in a queue on the road to take free material being distributed. We are living from day to day and do not know from where the next meal will come laments," said Ali.

Confederation of Voluntary Organisations (COVA) which works with 100 private schools in the ciity decided to support at least 1,000 teachers from 60 schools by raising Rs 1 crore through donations and grants. "We started supporting with Rs 5000 through direct bank transfers. The total amount of Rs 10 lakhs were distributed amongst teachers which were collected through donations," Mazher Hussain Executive Director, informed The Hans India.

Moving beyond the grants programme, COVA is now launching an improved version wherein teachers are paid Rs 10,000 each as part of their salary so they are able to live with some comfort and dignity till August when they could get their salary dues, he added.