Chattogram teachers go sans salary as Covid-19 dries up institutions’ funds

Chattogram Laboratory School and College at Chatteshori Road in Chattogram city has over 500 students and more than 50 teachers. 

The institution spends around Tk800,000 a month for teachers' salary, building rent and other expenses. But due to coronavirus outbreak, the institutions is shut since March 16 and now it is having financial crisis. 

Meanwhile, the government has announced that the educational institutions will remain closed till September. The announcement has put the institution in more trouble. 

Not only this, there are around 1,100 kindergartens in the port city, enlisted with Bangladesh Kindergarten Association. 

The schools manage all the expenses from tuition fees from the students. The teachers are passing hard times as they have had no salaries since March. 

Habib Rahman, principal of Chattogram Laboratory School and College, said, "The schools are closed since March. Teachers and landlords are asking for their salaries and rents. We are in a crisis as we do not have any income, which came from the tuition fees provided by the students." 

"If the schools remain closed until September for Covid-19, we will have nowhere to go," he added. 

"We do not know if we should close the institutions permanently. But that will cause trouble for over 500 students, and about 150 teachers and staff, who will lose jobs," he said. 

Chattogram Education Board Chairman Pradip Chakraborty said that such institutions were run by trusts and individual ownership. 

"They had contacted us but the issue was under the ministry's jurisdiction," he added. 

According to district education office, there 1,480 educational institutions available which are under the government's monthly pay order (MPO). Besides, there are 104 school and 238 colleges operational which are not enlisted for MPO. They also conduct activities by organisational income. 

Teachers of different institutions said that the private educational institutions run on the tuition fees from the students. 

"Around 99 percent educational institutes conduct activities on rented space. Besides, the teachers are passing intolerable life as they do not get salaries since March. So, we need promotional scheme or loan in low interest for survival," said M Iqbal Bahar, central president of Bangladesh Kindergarten School and College Oikya Parishad. 

Shimul Mahajan, joint general secretary of Bangladesh School and College Teachers' Association, said that many teachers were on organisational payment structure even in MPO-listed institutions. They were also in crisis, he added. 

Md Parvej, an entrepreneur and teacher of Dhruba Tara School at Dewanhat area of the city, said, "We have paid our teachers till March. We use rental buildings and the landlords are pressing for clearing rents."

If such situation continued, the institution would be closed permanently, he said.