Villupuram MP writes to Centre to ensure minimum wages for teachers in private and unaided schools

Villupuram Member of Parliament D. Ravikumar has urged the Union government to intervene and ensure minimum wages for teachers in private and unaided schools in the country

In a letter addressed to Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya, Mr. Ravikumar said many private school teachers faced significant challenges, including low salaries, lack of maternity leave, absence of allowances, gender bias and irregularities in provident fund payments. Currently, the Union government has limited authority over administrative matters of unaided schools, and a proper legislation alone could protect teachers from such exploitation, he said.

Underlining the priority of the government to strengthen the education system, he stressed the need to attract the best minds to the teaching profession. Ensuring minimum wages would provide teachers with basic pay and job security, protecting them from workplace harassment by their supervisors, he pointed out.

“Guaranteeing minimum wages for teachers and headmasters will increase their productivity and encourage them to improve teaching methods. This measure will also eliminate wage disparities caused by personal biases of senior officials and contribute to quality education in private and unaided schools,” Mr. Ravikumar said.

The MP said the Delhi High Court, in 2023, had made a significant ruling, stating that teachers of unaided private schools were entitled to the same pay and emoluments as their counterparts in government schools.

Hence, the government should intervene and ensure that teachers in private and unaided schools received wages not less than those prescribed under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled employees, he said.