Schools across the state have been asked to disclose their fee details on their official websites and also to submit a copy of the same to the officers concerned of the Department of Public Instruction. In an official circular which was recently issued, the department has asked all schools affiliated across the boards to publish details of the fee collected and the facilities available at the schools in a 6x10 flex board which should be visible to all parents on the school premises.
As per directions given by the department, schools have also been asked to submit details of the same in a A4-sized sheet to the officers at the local level on or before April 15, 2019. The department has additionally insisted schools to appoint eligible teachers and pay them as per the Right to Education Act (RTE). According to the RTE act, the pay scale would be around Rs 25,800 per month for primary teachers, and for high school teachers it would be around Rs 33,450. For non-teaching staff with the rank of First Division Clerk, the pay scale should be Rs 27,650, and for Second Division Clerk it is Rs 21,400. For D-group employees, the salary should be Rs 17,000.
The department has also warned the school management of initiating action if they violate the RTE norms in recruitment. However, private school managements have objected to the salary proposal. A member of the Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka asked, "Majority of the schools in the state are budget schools. These schools charge an annual fee between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 30,000 per child. In such a situation, how can they pay the salaries prescribed by the department? If the department insists on us paying that salary, we will be forced to increase the fee," the member said.
