The Hindu : School faces two-fold problem

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 17, 2002

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School faces two-fold problem

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI MAY 16. Most good things come for a price, naturally. Education in the Capital is no different. And for this particular school, the problem has increased twofold. For one, the school does not have enough teachers. And the ones it has have remained unpaid for nearly two months now.

Teachers of Delhi Tamil Education Association (DTEA) Senior Secondary School, Janakpuri branch, held a dharna at the Directorate of Education premises against non-payment of their salary recently. Things have not really improved much since then.

A minority linguistic institution with seven branches across the city, the DTEA receives from the Delhi Government 95 per cent of grant-in-aid towards salary of teachers and other staff of its schools. The balance of five per cent is met by the monthly subscription paid by parents of those studying in the school.

According to the teachers, thanks to the "non-release of grant-in-aid sanctioned for the first quarter of the financial year, teachers have not received their salary for March and April." They allege that despite their bringing the issue to the notice of the Director of Education and Delhi Chief Minister, Shiela Dikshit, no action has been taken so far.

The other six branches of the school have received the grant-in-aid. The dharna, apart from raising the demand for salary, also brought into focus the problem of staff vacancies. According to a DTEA release, 25 per cent of the sanctioned posts of teachers and staff have not been filled up in all their seven branches for over two years.

Most vacancies are in the primary classes. "We are being told that the problem is due to our schools coming under three different nodal districts. How do they expect us to maintain a good standard of education? Our board results will also go down if we do not get senior secondary teachers for subjects like Economics and Commerce,'' laments DTEA secretary, Natarajan.

According to the school, the request for teachers was first made over two years ago. "Despite repeated representations to the Director of Education, clearance to fill the posts has not been received. Key posts, including those to senior classes have been vacant and could affect the results of examinations, and our reputation as well,'' adds Mr Natarajan.

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