Kurnool: With schools reopening soon, teachers in corporate and private institutions across Andhra Pradesh are facing mounting pressure, as several managements have linked job security to the number of student admissions.
There are over 17,700 recognised private schools across the state.
Teachers have been told that their employment will continue only if they bring in new admissions. “No admissions, no job.” A private school teacher from Kurnool said, “We are left with no choice.”
Hundreds of teachers, particularly in Rayalaseema districts such as Kadapa, Nandyal and Kurnool, are scouting around villages, striving to get kids for admissions. This, under the harsh summer conditions.
“We are going door to door, requesting parents to enroll their kids in our school,” said D. Swapna, a teacher at a corporate school in Kadapa. “I have not secured even a single admission so far. I visited five villages, but there’s no response,” she rued.
Teachers are travelling in groups, often hiring autos to reach remote villages. “Even villages without bus routes are being covered. We are spending money from our pockets just to meet targets,” said another teacher from Nandyal.
School managements have set targets, particularly for admissions into Class 1, and are offering incentives only if those targets are met. “They promise incentives if we bring students. Otherwise, they tell us to ‘look for another job’,” said M. Subhadra, a private school teacher from Nandyal.
Teachers say this trend is not limited to Rayalaseema. “The same situation exists in Guntur, Krishna, and even in north coastal districts.” Everywhere, teachers are being turned into ‘marketing agents’.
A problem is, families have fewer kids, unlike in the past when family sizes were large. Mushrooming of schools also led to this situation. Improvement in facilities at government schools also causes a shortage for private schools.
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