- Friday, April 19, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE majority of private schools across India have reported a dip in revenue by 20 to 50 per cent, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, and it has led to reduction in teachers’ salaries at many of those institutes, a new report has said.
The report by the Central Square Foundation (CSF), an NGO-working on quality school education in India, is based on a study that covered more than 1,100 respondents (parents, school administrators and teachers) across 20 states and Union Territories of the country.
More than 55 per cent of the schools said there was a major fall in the number of new admissions this academic year, according to the report. Three-fourth of the schools have faced delays in RTE (Right to Education) reimbursements.
Non-minority private schools have to give free admissions to students selected by the state governments under the 25 per cent RTE quota. In exchange for free admissions, the state reimburses an amount fixed in advance.
“Revenue decreased in the range of 20-50 pc for most schools but the cost heads have largely remained the same, thus making it difficult to continue operations seamlessly. Schools’ revenues were hit by the inability of parents to pay fees regularly. This was highest among the urban schools. Fifty-five per cent of schools suggest that there was a major reduction in the number of new admissions in this academic year,” the report added.
At least 77 per cent of the schools said they are not interested in taking a loan to back their finances during the pandemic while only three per cent have accessed loans successfully. Five per cent are reportedly waiting for their loans to be processed.
“The schools reported that preferred source of loan is a public sector bank and the least preferred source is an NBFC (non-banking financial company),” it said.
Coming to the reduction in salaries of the teachers, at least 55 per cent of them in private schools have seen their salaries getting slashed during the pandemic lockdown.
“Schools paid teachers partially since other cost heads (bills, rent, etc.) couldn’t be avoided. Sixty-five per cent teachers’ salaries were put on hold by low fee schools as compared to 37 per cent teachers whose salaries were put on hold by high fee schools. At least 54 pc teachers do not have an alternate source of income, 30 per cent supplemented their salary with private tutoring and coaching,” the report said.
While 55 per cent of the teachers are very confident that their schools will be able to continue operations till normalcy returns, the confidence level goes down significantly among the teachers in rural and low-fee schools.
Among the parents, 70 per cent said that school fees remained the same while 50 per cent of them reported about paying the fees, the report added.
“Twenty per cent parents reported an increased expenditure on technology and infrastructure and 15 pc reported increased education expenses. Seventy-eight pc parents reported that they will be able to continue to afford their child’s education at the same school,” the report added.
Schools across India were closed in March last year ahead of a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus and shifted to online teaching. In October, several states reopened schools partially but they were again shut because of the second wave of the pandemic that hit in April this year.
The situation is yet to return to normal and many states have been buying time on the question of reopening schools despite repeated warnings from experts about the psychological consequences the students could face in the long run.
