Many private educational institutions could not pay salaries to their teachers and employees as they could not realize tuition fees from pupils due to the current general shutdown.
As a result, teachers and employees of these private institutions are in critical situation as they are facing serious financial hardships.
Concerned people said that although the government and MPO affiliated educational institutions did not face any problem, the private institutions running on their own income were in dire financial straits.
All educational institutions in the country have been closed since March 16. Thus, most of the schools, colleges and universities could not realize the tuition fees for the month of March and April.
Although many institutions paid salaries of March from their funds, they are worried about paying salaries of the months of April and May and Eid festival allowances.
These educational institutions are now in dual crisis. Most parents are not willing to pay at the moment. To most of the guardians paying tuition fees at this moment is inhumane.
On the other hand, if the institutions do not collect the tuition fees, they will not be able to pay the salaries of their teachers and employees.
Many institutions have decided to send requests to parents to pay the due tuition fees.
Manipur High School in the capital has issued a notice to all parents to pay tuition fees. In the notice, it has been requested to pay the tuition fees even during the closure.
Salary and allowance have also been stopped at Rupnagar Model School and College in the capital. Several teachers have said that they are living inhuman life due to discontinuation of their salaries and allowances.
If the educational institutions are closed till next September, many of the teachers and employees will have to leave Dhaka due to lack of money.
Recently, in an application to Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, the Convenor of English Medium Schools Association of Bangladesh (EMSAB) Engineer Quazi Tarif Sadat mentioned that they are not able to continue paying salaries of their employees as the students are not paying monthly tuition fees.
He urged the minister to include them in the incentive package of the government.
Asked about this, Secondary and Higher Education Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain told The Bangladesh Post, “Not only Bangladesh, the whole world did not face such situation before. I have not received any allegation that schools are forcibly charging salaries and fees from students. In case of any complaint, some action will be taken.”
He also said, “The guardians are facing problems to pay the tuition fees. On the other hand, private institutions have to pay the salaries of their teachers and employees. However, I will urge the authorities of private institutions to become tolerant in this situation.”
In case of non-payment of salaries and fees, the authorities may realize it later without fine, he added.
Asked about this, teacher’s leader and member of the ‘National Education Policy 2010’ formulation committee, Principal Kazi Faruk Ahmed said, “It is a time of pandemic and crisis. The education ministry should look into the matter of paying salaries of teachers and staff of non-government educational institutions.”
Meanwhile, in a recent order from the Dhaka Board of Education, the heads of the institutions have been requested not to put pressure on the collection of tuition fees.
In the order, if the educational institutions are reopened or return to normal, the request is made to collect the monthly salary along with the arrears.
However, last Saturday, Education Minister Dipu Moni said, “Private educational institutions are totally dependent on tuition fees. I would request the guardians to consider the issue of tuition fees.”
It is learnt that the government primary school teachers are not facing such financial crisis.
However, at present, there are nearly 50,000 preprimary schools across the country. Teachers of these schools get a small amount of salary. But the salaries of the teachers have been stopped since March.
Besides, about 30,000 schools and colleges are state owned and MPO registered. They all get salary from the government. But 6,000 secondary schools and 3,000 colleges run according to their own earnings. They are in dire financial crisis.
