Government school teachers are the backbone of India’s education system, shaping the future of millions of students across the country. Yet, many of these teachers are grossly underpaid, forcing them to work multiple jobs to survive.
Take the case of Amit Kumar, a part-time physical education teacher from Bhagalpur, Bihar. After over two years of unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Amit finally secured a government job in 2022. But his joy was short-lived when he realized that his monthly salary of Rs 8,000 wasn’t enough to run his household.
Amit teaches in a government school in the morning. He is a teacher of Physical Education and despite being a part-time teacher, he puts in full-time effort to promote sports in his school and bring accolades. However, his contribution is rewarded with a meagre salary – five times less than what full-time teachers in the same school earn. Full-time teachers in other schools earn Rs 42,000.
His salary hasn’t seen a hike in two and a half years. To add to his financial woes, he went unpaid for four months earlier this year, forcing him to borrow money from friends. That’s when Amit’s wife suggested he try food delivery. After some research, he realized the flexible hours would allow him to work evenings. Now, he spends his mornings teaching and evenings, from 5 PM to 1 AM, delivering food for Zomato.
“With Rs 8,000 in hand, I am unable to raise a family. How will I feed my future generation if I cannot feed myself? I have an old mother to look after and therefore, I am forced to do two jobs,” he said, quoted NDTV.
Amit isn’t alone. Many part-time teachers across the country are stuck in similar situations – underpaid, overworked, and undervalued. The irony? These same teachers are celebrated on occasions like Teachers’ Day, but when it comes to fair wages and timely payments, the system leaves them hanging.