Teachers and employees of non-government educational institutions, including kindergartens, across the country are struggling to survive due to coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Authorities were also unable to pay the salaries of the teachers and employees of the educational institutions as they could not collect the tuition fees from the students.
Parents and guardians of students studying in private educational institutions did not pay their children's monthly tuition fees other charges due to financial crisis emerged from ongoing disaster, sources said.
All types of educational institutions remain closed since March 16 and everything has come to a standstill for more than a month after announcing countrywide shutdown to thwart the spread of Covid-19.
In this situation, most of the guardians were unable to pay the school fees whereas educational institutions are sending regular text messages (SMS) to guardian’s 'mobile phones' to pay salaries and other fees.
As a result, both the guardians and the teachers and staffs have fallen into financial hardship.
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 salaries and fees. On the other hand, private institutions have to pay the salaries of their teachers and staffs. 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 take it later without fine, he added.
According to sources, many school authorities asked the guardians to pay the monthly salary, session and development fees saying that they were unable to pay the salaries of teachers and employees.
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 staffs of non-government educational institutions.”
Talking to The Bangladesh Post, authorities of several private schools, colleges and part-time MPO-affiliated educational institutions in the capital said that they were unable to pay salaries and allowances to teachers and staffs due to financial crisis.
The teachers and staff are also passing inhuman life. Despite repeated requests, most of the parents did not pay their children's monthly salaries and other fees. Besides, a large part of the private educational institutions in the capital are run in rented houses. Due to the Corona disaster, these institutions are not able to pay the rent.
Generally, almost every private school in Dhaka collects Tk 5,000 to Tk 30,000 from students at the beginning of the year for admission and other fees. Trusts and agency-run and so-called specialized schools charge more at the beginning of the academic year.
Cambrian School and College Chairman MK Bashar said, “About 1,097 teachers and staffs are working in my educational institution. Their monthly salary is Tk 2 crore and 55 lakh. We have to pay the salaries of teachers and staffs after fees from the students. However, we have asked students to pay their salaries and fees, but we did not put any pressure on the guardians after the outbreak of coronavirus.”
Sadia Alabbi, mother of Siratul Jannat, a nursery student at Genesis School, said “We received a SMS on April 5 to pay the salary of the month of April-May. I have already paid it. How can I pay now if it is closed till September?”
Meanwhile, Rafiqul Islam, a parent of a fourth-grade student at National Ideal School said, “I work in a buying house. I did not get my salary. I don’t even know if I have the job. In this situation, although authorities do not take classes in schools, they are creating pressure to pay the salaries and other fees.”
Moreover, schools authorities urged the government to help them.
“We are not well. Teachers and staffs get the salary from the salaries of students. Guardians could not pay the salary due to coronavirus pandemic. We are totally dependent on this salaries. We have no ability to pay high rent of houses and bear the cost of our families now,” said Convener of English Medium Schools Association of Bangladesh (EMSAB) Engineer Quazi Tarif Sadat in an application to Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni.
He urged the minister to include them in the incentive package of the government, considering the financial crisis of 10 lakh highly educated persons.
