CBSE cracks whip on private schools

Private schools, even those affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), pay less to their teachers despite the government rule that they should be paid on par with the salary of the government school teachers. The malpractice will stop, at least in around 16,000 private schools among 19,000 CBSEaffiliated schools, as they can no longer give less salary in cash or by cheque and take signatures on the higher salary. Henceforth, salaries and other allowances have to be electronically transferred on the last working day of the month.

Any defiance would result in disaffiliation of the school. This is part of the government drive to promote electronic mode of payments, a CBSE official said. A circular issued by the board, however, seeks to tackle many other malpractices in the private schools.

For instance, it says schools cannot retain the original degree or diploma certificates of teachers after appointing them as it prevents the teachers to explore better avenues and become virtually the bonded labourers of the school.

It also decries that the schools have to engage teachers as whole-time employees except in special cases.

It also lays down the rule that no teacher of secondary or senior secondary classes should be required to teach more than three-fourths of the total periods in a week and not take any non-academic work from them.

The schools have been also asked to fix norms for promotion so as to put an end to delays in promotions.

The private schools may still defy the directives since CBSE is only a registered society and not a statutory authority.

The Human Resources Development Ministry is contemplating to give teeth to the CBSE by bringing a legislation to give statutory status to it. It has also asked the CBSE to strengthen its monitoring mechanism to take action against erring schools.