keralamonitor.com June 2, 2002.

Are teachers like Construction Workers who can be hired and fired overnight?

In traditional India, Guru (teacher) was considered by the society as equivalent to God. In the 21st century, they are treated as the least respected professionals by some of the Indian schools in the Gulf. The teaching community working for various Indian schools in the Gulf are sometimes treated at par with the construction workers! They get the lowest salary comparable to drivers and barbers, lack basic facilities and an face an utter lack of job security.

At the end of every academic year, the fate of Indian School teachers in Muscat is hanging in balance as the 'Management Gurus' who run the community schools are searching for some victims to be packed and send back to India. This has been a regular phenomenon in various Indian schools and this year also, about 18 teachers of a leading Indian school may face an uncertain future as the school management committee is thinking of retrenching them, allegedly for "non-performance". Like the poor construction workers who are often hired and fired at short notices, the teaching community have been highly concerned about such fear of overnight sacking. Unlike India where there are strong teachers unions, the teaching community in the Gulf is highly unorganised and lack collective bargaining power. Unlike India where there is a strong legal system to question such arbitrary decisions, they are always at the mercy of school committee members.

"If the teachers in Indian schools are non-performing assets as detected by a school management committee, what is the miracle behind each school getting 100 per cent success in the SSLC and CBSE examinations. That also with 100 per cent first class, majority of them with distinction," asks a concerned teacher. The question needs to be addressed to respective members of the management committee, the board of directors, and the patron of Indian schools. Last year, another leading Indian school sacked overnight a number of efficient and low paid teachers. The controversy in Indian school Muladha about the recruitment drama and the subsequent sacking of a vice-principal is common knowledge. The arrogance shown by some board members in rejecting a release order to the sacked vice principal is also well known. Many of the experienced and efficient teachers leave Indian schools in search of greener pastures. Some of them become get addicted to the high income from private tuitions.

It is true that due to poor payment, a number of teachers make good money through private tuitions. However, the fact is that teachers don't have job security in Indian schools. They want to make as much money as possible within a short period and go back to India. In this case, the management may give them a special concession. Instead of giving the two-three month notice period before termination, their vacation will be treated as the notice period!

It may be recalled that last year there was a controversy about some concerned authorities in an Indian school demanding bribe of Rs. 50,000 from candidates who appeared for a teachers interview conducted in an Indian city. Often the school committee members who go to India for teachers' recruitment start the show by recruiting an academician who can ask some serious questions to the candidates. We heard lot of stories about centralising recruitment for teachers to avoid corruption and improving their salary and welfare measures.

But all these so called reform process has not yielded any results. If the concerned authorities do not respond, respective members of the Management committees and Indian school board members will continue to treat the teaching community in the same manner they were mistreated in the last two decades. Such funny stories surrounding the Indian schools are often heard from various quarters. Will the Indian school board and the patron look into the matter and ensure job security to the teachers? Or will the situation continues to remain the same? No need to treat them as God, but treat them as decent human beings. (keralamonitor.com)

 

ADB HELPING INDIAN STATE PREPARE ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (31 May 2002) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will
provide a Technical Assistance (TA) grant of US$1 million to help the
Indian state of Madhya Pradesh prepare a statewide road improvement
program. The program will be funded by the Department for International
Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom through its Poverty Reduction
Trust Fund and administered by ADB.

Under the program a detailed engineering design will be developed for 400km
of priority state roads and pilot programs to improve access roads in rural
areas to enable the poor to use social services.

The program will also support road sector reforms addressing the need to
upgrade the road network, establish a road maintenance fund, upgrade
technologies in highway construction and maintenance. The improvement to
rural roads will also improve the living conditions of the poor.

The DFID will fund 80 percent of the TA cost while the balance will be
borne by the Government of India. The program is due to be completed by the
end of this year.