Page 58 - EducationWorld Feb 2021 Low

Special Report

ity of private schools, the livelihood of
an estimated 5 million private school
teachers has also been jeopardised.
Over 80 percent of private school
teachers have not been paid their
salaries for five months and/or have
suffered pay cuts. On the other hand,
even though government schools have
been shuttered for nine months, their
teachers continue to be paid from the
public payroll.
“India’s 400,000 budget private
schools which educate over 60 million
children have been hardest hit by the
pandemic and schools closure. Most
of them are facing a grim financial
future with parents, even those who
Sharma: BPS hardest hit can afford to pay, not having paid fees Gireesh: create welcoming environments
for the past few months. With revenue
also significant and immediate. The streams drying up, the majority of BPS sory malfunction as a consequence of
country’s affordable private schools have not been able to pay teachers and forced online learning. Cases of anxi-
— especially budget private schools staff. It is a dire situation from which ety and depression within children are
(BPS) which are the sole alternative budget private schools will take many also on the rise. In the US, the Clark
of low-income households fleeing years to recover,” says Kulbhushan County district of Las Vegas city has
dysfunctional government schools Sharma, president of NISA. been forced to reopen schools because
-- are in deep trouble with thousands It’s a sobering thought that if 20 of a surge in student suicides.
confronted with the prospect of bank- percent of India’s 450,000 private “For almost a year, children haven’t
ruptcy. Unpaid tuition dues have ac- schools close down because of the met with friends and teachers. While
cumulated during the past three quar- pandemic lockdown, 1 million teach- some learning is happening online,
ters of closure following confusing and ers will join India’s growing army of children have suffered deep sociali-
contradictory fee deferment directives unemployed. sation and emotional bonding depri-
passed by several state governments. vation resulting in isolationism and
Illogically, these directives mandate Mental & emotional damage anger management problems with
schools to continue paying teachers’ ince the national lockdown was teachers reporting anxiety and de-
salaries and provide online education. imposed to contain the Cov- pression symptoms. This is adversely
A nationwide survey conducted by Sid-19 pandemic, education de- affecting online learning outcomes.
the Delhi-based National Independent bates have centred around issues such As schools reopen cautiously, man-
Schools Alliance (NISA), which has a as regulation of fees payable to private agements and teachers need to take
membership of 60,000 BPS country- schools, the urban-rural and rich-poor care to address and repair the men-
wide, indicates that the tuition fees of digital divides, and learning loss suf- tal, psychological and emotional dam-
a mere 38 percent of their students fered by out-of-school children. The age children have suffered by creating
have been paid during the past year. equally important issue of mental and welcoming, non-threatening teaching-
In this connection, it’s important to emotional damage suffered by chil- learning environments. Over the next
note that 70 percent of the country’s dren locked in their homes for over few months, the mental and emotional
450,000 private schools levy tuition nine months and learning remotely well-being of children must take pre-
fees less than Rs.1,000 per month ac- in isolation from their peers, has re- cedence as it’s the prerequisite of aca-
cording to the Sector State of India ceived scant attention. demic learning and success,” advises
Report 2020: Private Schools in In- However, latterly there’s an emerg- Dr. Kannan Gireesh, a Chennai-
dia of the Delhi-based Central Square ing consensus within child psycholo- based psychiatrist and founder of
Foundation (see EW cover story, Sep- gists that the mental and emotional Live Life Education Pvt. Ltd, which
tember 15). stability of tens of millions of children has conducted “hundreds of online
While non-payment of fees by par- and youth has been adversely affected. workshops” for teachers, students
ents following reckless and confusing Some research studies estimate that and parents on pandemic emotional
government circulars has severely dis- two out of five children are exhibiting damage issues.
rupted cash flows and financial viabil- symptoms of hyperactivity and sen- With Autar Nehru (Delhi)

58 EDUCATIONWORLD FEBRUARY 2021