Some private schools in Bangalore have started terminating services of the teaching and non-teaching staff amid the coronavirus lockdown. The schools were earlier warned of disaffiliation and criminal action for demanding a fee from parents for the next academic year.

The situation came into light when an audio clip of the administration staff of a reputed private school on Richmond Road, Bengaluru went public. The audio reveals that the school is terminating the service of its bus driver for the next academic year. Drivers working with the transportation department of various private schools said, “School managements are behaving inhumanly with us. Many of us are getting calls from schools asking to settle if any dues from the account department after the reopening as they don’t need our services anymore.”

Apart from drivers, teachers and other non-teaching staff, including helpers too are being terminated from their services. A female teacher working with a reputed primary school in the city said, “I have been working for a private school in central Bengaluru for the past one year. Two days ago, I got a call from the school ssaying they were relieving me from the services. As many of us are on the contract basis we have no right to question.”

Meanwhile, some of the school managements have told their staff that they won’t pay salaries for April and May. D Shashi Kumar, General Secretary of Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary schools in Karnataka, said, “Budget schools are struggling to pay the salaries to staff. This is why we have requested the government to release our dues towards the Right to Education admissions.”

The staff working with private schools are now requesting the department of public instruct to save their jobs.

Also read: Private schools disregard govt directive, tells parents to pay fees for next academic year

Source: Deccan Herald