School business: True lies

Ningthemba Chingsubam
The sudden breakout of the covid-19 pandemic not only teaches a great lesson to the mankind of his health hygiene but it also opens up our eyes to see under what ‘SIDDHAANT’ some section of people aim at school business in every nook and corner of the country. In the name of education many a great money minded people choose school business as the easiest way of earning money.  They proclaim that they are the nation builders and their attentions seem to focus to produce, by fair or foul means, pillars of the nation and accumulate a huge wealth in return. It is an open secret, they are doing business in the name of social service.
For instance, we all heard from the newspapers and electronic media that in some schools, no sooner did the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur declare the results of the HSLC Examination 2020 the founders rushed to the houses of the students who brought laurels to the schools to bestow awards worth rupees lakhs each in recognition of the students actually when the founders of the schools were unwilling to pay salaries to the teachers who sacrificed their lives in molding the careers of the position holders. The amount of money gifted to the position holders could have been used in the disbursement of salaries of the whole staff of the schools for about five months. If they were supposed to have done so, God might have blessed them with fountains of blessings. Instead of showing sympathy to those teachers who are now facing the grievances caused by the nation-widelock-down, the founders gave emphasis on advertisement and publicity of their schools in front of the cameras. Are they doing social service in the true sense or are they doing business?
On the other hand, those schools which have been running for more than a decade of years were taking advantage of the covid-19 pandemic appeared in the public scene as if they faced financial crunch during the ensuing great lockdowns in the state. They are the real robbers who are in the habit of practising daylight robbery in the name of education. They act independently in charging school fees for which none of the authorities, may be over ground or underground or the government, does not eye upon them so far. At the beginning of the new academic session they collected a huge amount of money from the students for which they would dare to explain many things. If they are not willing to pay salaries to the teachers during the lockdown of the schools caused by any disaster,at the time of appointment of the teachers they should mention, in the service rules, that they may not be able to pay salaries to the teachers. On what basis is it said that a school having a big asset faces financial break down during this lockdown period? But I feel pity for the schools who are honestly imparting education to the children.
Above all these, a common practice we know is most of the private schools spend a huge amount of money to purchase high ranking students of the HSLC Examinations every year to put them into their schools. The rank holders of the HSLC Examinations are as lucky as famous cricketers or footballers. They are attracted with beautiful offers. It becomes a tradition of competition in our state. But what about the fate of the teachers? ”No Work, No Pay‘ for the teachers. Is there any private school in Manipur where the school founders institute any health insurance for the teachers to provide a guarantee of compensation for specified loss, damage, illness, or death? For a meagre salary the authorities or the founders of the schools drain knowledge from their brains. When their brains become weak, they are thrown out of the schools.
    The ensuing Covid-19 Pandemic is an unseen force invading to unmask the true faces of the dishonest human beings who deal in different sectors of business. So, it is a high time for those teachers who are working in the private schools like bonded-labourers to open up your eyes and see the world from where you are sleeping.