MESTA appeals to Gaikwad to support private schools
MUMBAI: Over 6 lakh teachers and 1.50 lakh support staff, including the trustees of private schools, on Thursday, appealed to state Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad, to refrain from making any indiscriminate changes in the fee structure of private schools in Maharashtra. Maharashtra English School Teachers Association (MESTA) submitted its memorandum of demands to the minister and explained the plight of teachers and support staff and their families who were suffering due to orders passed by the ministry related to the collection of school fees. The association stated that the financial condition of teachers and schools are abysmal and needs immediate assistance. The association said, if full salaries of teachers and staff are not released, it might lead to downsizing in schools and also temporary or permanent closure of many schools in the state. MESTA stated that the sole income of private-unaided schools in the state depends on school fees. The letter said that the government should support teachers by paying minimum wages, release pending Right to Education (RTE) dues of the last four years, waive government taxes and electricity charges for the academic year 2020-21 and provide adequate representation to MESTA members. -
Maharashtra on Thursday reported 8,998 new coronavirus cases pushing the cumulative case count of the state to 21,88,183, while the death toll has jumped to 52,340 after 60 fatalities were reported. The number of cases to be reported in a single-day witnessed a slight decline as compared to Wednesday when 9,855 new cases were reported.
The state on Thursday reported 6,135 patients who recovered and discharged from hospitals taking the overall recovery count to 20,49,484. With this state's recovery rate was recorded at 93.66 per cent.
The count of active cases in the state currently stands at 85,144. Meanwhile, the cumulative case count in Mumbai jumped to 3,29,843 with 1103 new cases reported on Thursday. With 5 new fatalities, cities death toll jumped to 11,492
The growth rate in Mumbai has jumped to 0.29 percent, while the recovery rate remained at 93 per cent on Thursday. The doubling rate has further declined to 238 days
In other districts in the state, 933 people tested positive in Pune city, which took its total count to 2,12,189. With four new deaths, its toll went up to 4,583. According to the officials, the new infection cases reported in Nagpur were 904, Pimpri Chinchwad-- 492, Nashik- 224, Aurangabad 276 and Amravati 389 new cases.