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Underpaid alternative school teachers to stay in school indefinitely if demands not met.
The teachers in Alternative schools find themselves in a thankless job with no salary raise, erratic salary payment schedules, long walks to school, no assistance in teaching etc. They plan to approach the government with their demands.
You know which are the best teachers of India today? Not those who are the most qualified or even those who are imparting education in the top notch schools of the country, but in fact, those who impart knowledge to a generation that has no access to formal education in the interiors of the state, including the tribal areas.
But this brave lot of teachers from the alternative (badal) schools are a depressed lot because even after years their salary is a meagre Rs5,000. Yes, that is the salary of a teacher who is empowering the lower most strata of underprivileged children in the country. With such a pittance for salary, extension of service benefits or a permanent job remains a distant dream. Sadly, even salary, despite being such a measly amount is not disbursed regularly. Salary arrears, according to them have been pending since the month of April.
There are around 325 such alternative schools in Kerala that offer education up to standard IV. The number of teachers teaching in these schools is around 350.
"I have been working in an alternative school in Aralam for the last 13 years and the helper here gets more salary than me as her daily wage is nearly Rs350, but we have to be satisfied with just Rs5,000 a month," said a female teacher in one of the alternative schools in Aralam resettlement area in the district, where there are 4 such schools.
These teachers are not only facing financial woes, but also the hardship of walking great distances everyday as most of these schools are located in the interior areas and the fact that they have to single handedly manage all affairs pertaining to the school since there is nobody to assist them.
The previous government’s promise to hike their salary to Rs10,000 remains just a pipe dream for most. Moreover, since the food allowance is only ₹5 a day for a student which is simply not enough to meet the requirements the teachers often end up spending from their pockets.
Alternative School Teachers' Association (ASTA), the association of these teachers, has on numerous occasions raised the issue with authorities, however, it did not yield any result, said Reji Michael, their state treasurer, who works in an alternative school in Attappadi. "In normal course, in any department the temporary hands are regularized after nearly 10 years, but in our case it has not happened," he said, adding that most of them have crossed the age limit to appear for PSC examinations.
"Since we are less in number, and most of the staffers are women, the government often ignores us," said A P Usman, president of ASTA. He said the association would once again meet the education minister and present their grievances. If the government fails to respond favourably, it has been planned that the teachers would launch a different kind of agitation by staying in the schools during day and night risking their lives.