DLA Academy fires its entire teaching staff
Yogesh Avasthi and Shraddha Singh
Posted On Monday, June 20, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20110620201106200102369602acff992/DLA-Academy-fires-its-entire-teaching-staff.html)
The principal and staff members of DLA Academy for Little People, a CBSE-affiliated school in Bodakdev, have come down heavily on the school management for unceremoniously firing them after irregular salary payment for three months. The school has already appointed a new principal.
Protesting against the arbitrary action, the former principal of the school, on behalf of the teaching staff, wrote a letter to the state education minister on June 17 complaining of ‘atrocity and human exploitation’ by school chairman Jatin Jani. The letter with the signatures of the all the teachers has also been sent to Jani.
According to the letter, on June 15, Jani allegedly fired all 23 teachers, including the principle, and asked them to reappear at job interviews.
When contacted, DLA Academy Chairman Jatin Jani said, “We are recruiting new teachers to improve the quality of education in school. We did not see any improvement in the earlier teaching staff. We had given them 15 days notice and they were given their salaries through cheque. This will not affect the students as we already have new teaching staff.”
Jani claimed that many teachers were not qualified and the management had issues with the principal. “We have followed the proper procedure before removing the staff. We have shortlisted 10 teachers for fresh interviews.”
‘SALARY DELAYED’
In the letter, the former principal, who joined the school in June 2010, said, “The chairman called me and said that he is removing all teachers without serving any notice. We were not even paid regularly. Every month, we have to fight with the management for our salary which is usually deposited in our account only by 20th of every month. I have trained the entire staff for CBSE curriculum and methodology and now Jani is saying that we are incapable.”
Interestingly, the number of students has fallen from 190 to 135 in 2011, a fact the administration officer Narendra Parmar. “The chairman does not even release funds for timely payment of the van services available at school, which in turn affects children. It is the teachers who have to bear the brunt of the parents,” the letter further stated.
The salary bracket of the teachers is between Rs 7,500 and Rs 25,000. But the staff alleges that they are not paid as per the Sixth Pay Commission’s norm in spite of the school being CBSE-affiliated.
The salary of the teaching staff was withheld in April and May “to stop the teachers from leaving the school”. It was only after raising their voice that their salary was released in June.
‘IN THE NAME OF RENOVATION’
“We are not beggars. We are asking for our rights. There is no job security and our salary is so minuscule, while the management charges exorbitant fees,” said one of the teachers, who is struggling to meet ends.
Supporting the protest, another faculty, who had been teaching Hindi, said, “We have to repeatedly remind the chairman for our salary. He hardly meets us or takes interest in the academics of the school. He made false promises before removing us.”
It is also alleged that Jani forcibly ordered the closure of school on April 9 in the name of ‘renovation work’, which did not start till May 20. “The school cannot reopen now as the repair work is still unfinished. It is a loss of 60 days of teaching and academic work for the students,” said the former principal in the letter. Not only ours but also the academic future of the students is at stake. We have been running from pillar to post, but to no avail,” said a teacher, who used to take music lessons.
Posted On Monday, June 20, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20110620201106200102369602acff992/DLA-Academy-fires-its-entire-teaching-staff.html)
The principal and staff members of DLA Academy for Little People, a CBSE-affiliated school in Bodakdev, have come down heavily on the school management for unceremoniously firing them after irregular salary payment for three months. The school has already appointed a new principal.
Protesting against the arbitrary action, the former principal of the school, on behalf of the teaching staff, wrote a letter to the state education minister on June 17 complaining of ‘atrocity and human exploitation’ by school chairman Jatin Jani. The letter with the signatures of the all the teachers has also been sent to Jani.
According to the letter, on June 15, Jani allegedly fired all 23 teachers, including the principle, and asked them to reappear at job interviews.
When contacted, DLA Academy Chairman Jatin Jani said, “We are recruiting new teachers to improve the quality of education in school. We did not see any improvement in the earlier teaching staff. We had given them 15 days notice and they were given their salaries through cheque. This will not affect the students as we already have new teaching staff.”
Jani claimed that many teachers were not qualified and the management had issues with the principal. “We have followed the proper procedure before removing the staff. We have shortlisted 10 teachers for fresh interviews.”
‘SALARY DELAYED’
In the letter, the former principal, who joined the school in June 2010, said, “The chairman called me and said that he is removing all teachers without serving any notice. We were not even paid regularly. Every month, we have to fight with the management for our salary which is usually deposited in our account only by 20th of every month. I have trained the entire staff for CBSE curriculum and methodology and now Jani is saying that we are incapable.”
Interestingly, the number of students has fallen from 190 to 135 in 2011, a fact the administration officer Narendra Parmar. “The chairman does not even release funds for timely payment of the van services available at school, which in turn affects children. It is the teachers who have to bear the brunt of the parents,” the letter further stated.
The salary bracket of the teachers is between Rs 7,500 and Rs 25,000. But the staff alleges that they are not paid as per the Sixth Pay Commission’s norm in spite of the school being CBSE-affiliated.
The salary of the teaching staff was withheld in April and May “to stop the teachers from leaving the school”. It was only after raising their voice that their salary was released in June.
‘IN THE NAME OF RENOVATION’
“We are not beggars. We are asking for our rights. There is no job security and our salary is so minuscule, while the management charges exorbitant fees,” said one of the teachers, who is struggling to meet ends.
Supporting the protest, another faculty, who had been teaching Hindi, said, “We have to repeatedly remind the chairman for our salary. He hardly meets us or takes interest in the academics of the school. He made false promises before removing us.”
It is also alleged that Jani forcibly ordered the closure of school on April 9 in the name of ‘renovation work’, which did not start till May 20. “The school cannot reopen now as the repair work is still unfinished. It is a loss of 60 days of teaching and academic work for the students,” said the former principal in the letter. Not only ours but also the academic future of the students is at stake. We have been running from pillar to post, but to no avail,” said a teacher, who used to take music lessons.
