Private schools give go-by to Minimum Wages Act

Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 13

The Education Department does not have any check on the functioning of private schools which set the criteria for selection of teachers as per their own sweet will.

Thousands of private schools running in Jammu have been given a free hand by the state government as they hardly obey the Minimum Wages Act or eligibility criteria for recruitment of teachers.

It hardly matters to a private school whether the candidate is an undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate as it is running the institution only to earn.

It only negotiates salary and does not even pay the minimum wages prescribed by the state government under the Minimum Wages Act.

Under the Minimum Wages Act, the state government guarantees Rs 225, Rs 200, Rs 175 and Rs 150 per day for skilled, accounts, semi-skilled and unskilled workers, respectively.

Teachers of private schools in Jammu, who play an important role in building the future of the nation, do not get even Rs 100 per day.

“The government should come out with screening of private schools and the salaries of teachers should be fixed. The crisis is affecting the educational level of society,” said Mahesh Koul, a research scholar.

The schools are exploiting highly qualified unemployed youth of the state by hiring them on low wages. The teachers are being exploited by highly influential owners of private schools.

Parents of students are charged thousands in the name of luxurious classroom environment, co-curricular activities and highly qualified teachers, but teachers — the backbone of a school — are paid poor salary.

“I have master’s degrees in zoology and education, but my school pays only Rs 6,000 for teaching students of Classes XI and XII,” said a biology teacher at a private school in Jammu.

“We cannot protest as no one entertains our plea at the school or in the government. If we ask for increment, we will be shown the door and a new teacher appointed on lower salary,” she added.

Many teachers of private schools have been looking after their families with a salary of Rs 4,000 per month. The Education Department has no check on the recruitment and wage system of private schools.

“Private schools have their own criteria to recruit teachers and the department does not intervene,” said JK Sudan, Chief Education Officer, Jammu.

The Labour and Employment Department does not check the wage policy of private schools. It claims that action is taken against a school whenever a complaint is received.