Indian Salaries for Teachers

Gone are the days where in to work as a teacher was looked at with utmost regard. Today it is mostly listed last in the aspiration of youngsters. As a matter of fact it has now become an anachronism to aspire for the job of a teacher when the thrill lies in dot coms. The simple reason for such a esteemed job to lose it’s flare is that it is no more financially attractive in India. India witnessed a significant advance in the living standards of it’s people from early 1990’s. Unfortunately this growth compared against the salary drawn by teachers is ill proportioned. So in the materialistic world how can a youngster ever dream to become a teacher and perform paramount work for peanuts.Decent compensation are prevalent in educational institutions run by the government but not otherwise. Freshers from college work for the meager compensation of Rs.500 onwards for the sake of experience and better job prospects. The most sour aspect of this profession is that the salary is not bound to increase with experience as they shift from one school to another. No matter of what their experience is, they need to begin their job in the new school with the basic salary assumed by the school.With these unpleasant aspects it is certainly not phenomenal for teachers to fetch an employment in the schools and colleges abroad. Yes, there has been a steering rise in the number of India School teachers going to abroad to teach. Whether you call it fortunate or unfortunate, the potency of the Indian teachers is well realized by the educational institutions abroad. Indian teachers draw salaries at par with the US counterpart with the potential to increase their salaries as they become more experienced. No wonder, the number of Indian teachers going abroad in increasing- a trend that is certain to have positive and negative impact.Such migration will cause a subtle drop of good teachers and quiet obviously on the educational standards of India. The westward flight of Indian teachers has positive impact too. While most people tend to deplore the ‘teachers drain’ phenomenon, Maya Menon, director of Bangalore-based The Teachers Foundation discerns a silver lining. “It is not necessarily deplorable. In India teaching is perceived as a stagnant profession with slow upward mobility and modest financial rewards. If new opportunities to work abroad with decent pay have arisen it will motivate more young people to enter this increasingly shunned profession,” says Menon.Whatever be the positive aspect of this migration be, it is not too late for the Indian government to focus on policies that would make this profession financially attractive in India.