Move to amend equal pay law upsets teachers

Plan to remove parity between govt, private schools

The Delhi government’s move to amend a crucial law on education, which ensures equal salaries for private and government teachers, has drawn flak from private schools and experts who call it an “attack on workers’ rights”.

The government is planning to change section 10(1) of the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (DSEAR), 1973, which requires private schools to pay teachers on par with government ones.
According to the government, this change will end exploitation of teachers who are paid less than what is shown on paper.

The initial plan suggests that the government will ensure that teachers be paid at least the minimum wage of skilled labourers.

However, expressing disappointment over the decision, teachers have said that instead of putting an end, it will increase their exploitation.

“For uniform standards, the present rule should stay and be implemented. If private schools have financial problems, the government should give them aid instead of slashing the bread of private school teachers,” said Roohi Rahman, a teacher at Hamdard Public School.

“The government expects teachers to produce model citizens. Can private school tecahers do this if they are left to be exploited and made second class teachers? If the government feels teachers are being paid more than what they deserve, then let it reduce the salary of government teachers too so that there is no heartburn in any section,” she said.

The teachers concede that schools violate the provisions of the existing rule, but feel removing it altogether is the wrong approach.

“No doubt private schools have not been adhering to the equal pay rule. But the solution can certainly not be to delete it.

“For example, would the government legalise robbery if it is difficult to catch thieves?” said a teacher of a school in south-east Delhi.

Teachers and experts feel that the move will affect the standard and quality of education as it will lead to teachers resigning.

“The standrad of education will come down. It is the government’s responsibility to provide quality education and salaries to teachers is a big factor in it. If there are loopholes, the government should correct them and not delete the entire provision.

“There is total lack of understanding on the subject and law,” said lawyer-activist Ashok Agarwal, who has fought several cases relating to school education and represented teachers and parents.  
“It is an attack on workers’ rights. The rule is there for 42 years so that there is no exploitation.

“But now the government itself has legalised exploitation by taking away the established rights of workers,” he said.