Dear Trustees,
I am addressing members of all the school management as Trustees because in you several people have reposed their trust — the teachers, parents, pupils and of course, the government too.
Let me start by thanking you for having decided to establish educational institutions where so many young minds are being nurtured. You are, in a manner of speaking, actually sharing the responsibility of the government by providing education to the future generation.
Most private schools, thanks to you, have good infrastructure, capable staff and the transaction process is of the topmost order. The students too belong to a class of young people who are privileged and can afford private education. Recently, a new phenomenon has crept into schools- the “corporatisation” of schools. Schools are being run as companies, and much is being made of the processes in education. Now we have an Admissions Officer, an administrator with a number of people working under him/her, a stores-in-charge, a front office assistant, a CEO, CFO and of course a Principal. Yes, the Principal is shunted somewhere to the back and is present only because a school cannot function without one. Yes, there are, even as I write this piece, several schools functioning without a Principal. The entire process of education has been dehumanised and schools are no longer places where values, emotions and societal norms are nurtured. It has become a service — “I pay, you deliver. I am not happy with your services; well there are other schools in the market”.
Why has this happened? Schools are homes away from home. Teachers are foster parents and need to be cherished and valued. They cannot be bought; just as education cannot be sold. True, fees are charged and paid but that is because people need to survive.
On talking to a number of parents and students, I found that they no longer looked up to teachers the way people of my generation used to. The main reason for this was — “I am paying for this”. The poor salaries earned by teachers were another factor. According to them, Why would a smart and clever person work in a school for a poor salary? Since he/she does so, he/she must necessarily be a not so capable person.
Most private schools, thanks to you, have good infrastructure, capable staff and the transaction process is of the topmost order. The students too belong to a class of young people who are privileged and can afford private education. Recently, a new phenomenon has crept into schools- the “corporatisation” of schools. Schools are being run as companies, and much is being made of the processes in education. Now we have an Admissions Officer, an administrator with a number of people working under him/her, a stores-in-charge, a front office assistant, a CEO, CFO and of course a Principal. Yes, the Principal is shunted somewhere to the back and is present only because a school cannot function without one. Yes, there are, even as I write this piece, several schools functioning without a Principal. The entire process of education has been dehumanised and schools are no longer places where values, emotions and societal norms are nurtured. It has become a service — “I pay, you deliver. I am not happy with your services; well there are other schools in the market”.
Why has this happened? Schools are homes away from home. Teachers are foster parents and need to be cherished and valued. They cannot be bought; just as education cannot be sold. True, fees are charged and paid but that is because people need to survive.
On talking to a number of parents and students, I found that they no longer looked up to teachers the way people of my generation used to. The main reason for this was — “I am paying for this”. The poor salaries earned by teachers were another factor. According to them, Why would a smart and clever person work in a school for a poor salary? Since he/she does so, he/she must necessarily be a not so capable person.
My earnest request to all of you is:
a) Charge high fees by all means; but not at a scale that students and parents believe that they have bought you.
b) Ensure that the services provided by the school are comparable with the fees charged.
c) Pay your teachers decent living wages. We expect them to be well turned out and not give tuitions or indulge in malpractices. Surely then it is only fair that they get paid well.
d) Do not belittle the teacher in front of the parent. He may be a client, but the teacher looks to you for support; if he is wrong, by all means take appropriate action, but do not let him down in front of the parent.
e) Don’t encourage parents to come to you directly. The Principal is the Management representative and the right protocol should be followed. Better still, come to school only when there are functions or on a holiday when you can interact with your Head in a leisurely manner. Trust your Principal.
f)Ensure that your teachers are trained regularly to brush their skills both professional and personal. This will empower them in a manner that nothing else can.
g) Praise them whenever the chance arises. It always motivates.
h) Give them opportunities to display their talent.
You may wonder why I am saying all this to you. Is it not the duty of the Principal? Yes, But with schools being run increasingly like another business venture, Principals and teachers do not stay in a school for long and what is more, when a Principal is exceedingly capable, school owners are not very comfortable. Do not allow parents to come to you with issues, let the Principal handle it and what is more, respect his/her decision.
With new schools coming up almost every week, there is a concern about numbers. Yes, numbers are important, but quality is more important. If we could spend the budget earmarked for marketing on teachers’ welfare schemes, you would need no marketing budget at all.
The heart of a school is in its human interaction, and the way its teachers and students are treated. All the high tech laboratories, WiFi-enabled libraries and interactive boards, dear Sirs, cannot make up for the loss of human interaction. So, let me end by saying, bring back the human quotient in the school. It is alright if you do not have air-conditioned classrooms, what is important is the warmth in your interaction.
Author: Dr. Ranjini Krishnaswamy
Email: jinikay@gmail.com
This Article was published in the DNA Newspaper (Mumbai Edition) on 15th January 2017. You can read it here.
