Reading about the lady who was fired during her maternity leave by a private multinational in Islamabad on some flimsy pretext was extremely disturbing. But every cloud has a silver lining. When she complained to the Federal Ombudsman about it, she won the case, was reinstated, and was awarded Rs 0.8 million.
Being an educationist, it is extremely disturbing to note that private school teachers in this country do not enjoy any job security at all. Apart from the inhumane workloads and the ever-increasing demands of senior management, it is quite common to see teachers being fired on some flimsy pretext or the other just before the summer vacations, to avoid paying their salaries.
Private schools, which are now more like corporate behemoths, browbeat and harass educationists by making them work long hours and compelling them to accede to impossible demands, all under the garb of professionalism. Those who have dependents studying in these schools are particularly vulnerable and forced to tolerate this maltreatment, as their children's tuition fee is either waived off or heavily subsidised.
Employment contracts favour the employer, and the employee enjoys no rights at all and is completely at the mercy of the school. We need employment tribunals in this country which can protect and safeguard the rights of private school teachers. In cases of unfair dismissal, they should have the liberty to approach these tribunals and plead their cases. Imparting education was the profession of the prophets and, as such, it should be accorded the respect and regard it deserves.
Despite being an extremely noble profession, those associated with it are treated more like disposable commodities, and, since supply exceeds demand, they are in no position to bargain. Experience counts for little in this field; in fact, inexperienced teachers are hired to keep costs down. Private medical care and education are both inaccessible for the majority, so the government needs to step in and upgrade government schools and hospitals in order to curtail the monopoly of private institutions.
This client mentality needs to be abolished, and employment contracts need to offer a degree of protection to employees in private institutions as well
Laws need to be formulated to protect the rights of educationists in this country, and employment contracts should be vetted by experts to ensure that there are clauses in favour of the employee as well. Since nearly all employees are hired on a contractual basis and even those hired permanently enjoy no job security at all, it is imperative to have a legal framework in place.
It stands to reason that if teachers mould future generations, then the very best should be recruited. However, teachers’ salaries are rarely commensurate with their experience; in fact, instead of hiring one experienced teacher and paying her more, schools prefer to hire two for the same amount of money. Additionally, a pertinent point that Faisal Bari mentioned in his article in Dawn today was that the majority are paid less than the minimum wage and can barely afford to make ends meet.
Will we continue treating our educationists like hired help? If we expect them to invest in our children, then there is a moral responsibility to ensure that their rights are safeguarded and respected. With schools rapidly turning into commercial entities and high-end educational institutions resembling seven-star hotels, this is a flourishing and extremely lucrative business and, as the population soars, is not likely to see a downturn anytime soon.
The first step is to establish a legal framework and formulate policies conducive to the mental and emotional well-being of teachers in private setups — in short, give them legal protection and full autonomy to approach employment tribunals in cases of unfair dismissal. Private institutions should be held accountable, and labour laws should be strictly implemented.
Merely paying lip service is not going to do the trick; as a nation, we need to actively work towards ensuring a better future for those who are educating our children, often at the cost of their own emotional, physical and mental health. This client mentality needs to be abolished, and employment contracts need to offer a degree of protection to employees in private institutions as well.
The Chief Minister of Punjab is hereby requested to take action against these private schools and form trade unions, employment tribunals, and associations where teachers can be awarded legal protection and enjoy a certain degree of job security. Let us give this profession the recognition and respect it deserves!