The Hindu : Kerala News : Tackle it legally

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Kerala

Tackle it legally

Photo: G. Moorthy

Moulding personalities: Teachers are entrusted with a vital responsibility. So, the remuneration too must be adequate.

Many feel that education has become commercialised in at least a few unaided schools. Managements of such schools have been exploiting the educated youth who choose teaching as a career. Such malpractices in educational sector must not be tolerated.

The government should intervene and ensure parity of pay. After all, teachers’ work is same in government and unaided schools. If needed, a legislation must be enacted to this effect. This will attract talented youth to the profession.

Teachers’ representatives should be on the schools’ management committees. If foul play is detected recognition of the errant school should be withdrawn.

K.K. Kunhikannan

Koyilandy

Same work, less salary

This is an issue to be debated by all people of Kerala. The syllabus followed by all schools is the same and so, the demands from teachers too must be similar. If so, why should there be a disparity in pay? In this context, one question becomes relevant. Why do parents, who cannot afford to send their children to private run schools, take many hardships to do so? The quality of teaching in privately run schools is much better than government ones. The former has superior infrastructure and teaching aids. Focus is given on hygiene too.

In short, private schools are way ahead in almost all aspects except for the teachers’ pay packets. That seems unfair.

If managements have to enhance monthly fees at a reasonable rate to pay teachers, let them do so – provided, the money reaches the teachers.

The government can pay a monthly grant, based on students in the school, if the management is incapable of hiking the salary.

P.M.G Pillai

Mannar

‘Reward’ for toil

Private school managements employ many youngsters, who are unable to find jobs in aided or government schools. In these schools, merit rules and so, teachers have to work harder to produce better results.

Their efforts are usually ‘rewarded’ with low wages and poor service benefits. Though there has been a marginal improvement in their service conditions recently, it is not adequate. The teachers should be rewarded on par with their output. The government should wake up to the reality that those working in the private sector are not second grade citizens. In a democratic set-up equality is the keyword.

Capt. O.B. Nair

Poonithura

How they differ

The government/aided school teachers are well paid, well organised and most importantly, they are aware of their rights and will go on strike at the slightest hint of their violation.

Their counterparts in unaided schools lack all this. Agreed, some managements pay decent salaries. The rest, exploit talented persons by denying them salaries commensurate with their qualification/ experience. It is said that such managements hoodwink the authorities as well as the public by coercing the staff to sign a salary statement which shows a decent amount.

In reality, they are paid a drastically reduced sum. Unaided schools have come to stay in the State. Ironically, the patrons of such schools include those who vociferously champion the cause of public education. Unemployment being rife, there is no dearth of candidates knocking on their doors. The functioning of the unaided sector can be made democratic and transparent, if the government constitutes, without any financial implications, a committee comprising the head of the civic body, office-bearers of the PTA, the DEO and an eminent academic to do a kind of social auditing. But, it will succeed only with the cooperation of the managements. If the management refuses to abide by the norms, legal action needs to be taken. One thing is indisputable. Teachers deserve to be paid well, irrespective of the category they belong to. At the same time, they have to repay the goodwill with devotion and commitment to their vocation and society at large.

N.K. Vijayan

Kizhakkambalam

Limit their role

Fact-finding and advisory committees are all right, but what if their recommendations, however noble and sensible, stumble upon extant policies and conventions? Since even the judiciary prefers a more or less hands-off policy towards privately supported education, nowadays, the government’s good intentions may end up being disregarded.

Having earlier given private initiative a free hand in managing and delivering education, the government has only itself to blame for the state of affairs.

Let the government invite more private participation in education, by industry and businesses, but limit that to funding and monitoring. By using the funds judiciously, to establish more institutions to deliver quality education, the government can show the way, both to the private sector and to the society as a whole, how good management can be a win-win situation for all concerned.

Beating the private sector at its own game is what the government should do.

Devraj Sambasivan

Alappuzha

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