| Abstract: |
Private elementary schools in India constitute a critical pillar of the elementary education ecosystem, yet the educators employed within these institutions remain among the most economically and administratively marginalized segments of the teaching workforce. This empirical study examines the employment compensation structures and service conditions of teachers working in unaided private elementary schools in Dewas District, Madhya Pradesh. Employing a stratified random sampling design, data were collected from 120 private school teachers through structured interview schedules, covering variables including monthly salary, statutory benefit entitlements, contractual formality, leave provisions, workload distribution, and subjective job satisfaction. The data analysis indicates that the average monthly salary of respondents (₹9,644) is significantly less than state and national averages for similar educational roles. The coverage in compulsory benefits like the Employees' Provident Fund (25.8 per cent), Employees' State Insurance (22.5 per cent) and gratuity (15.8 per cent) is still worryingly very low. Eight service-quality dimensions JOB SATISFACTION SCORES Range from 1 to 5 where a higher score is better Score on three-point Likert scale (low, moderate and high; scored as L=0 M=1 H=2) averaged across all eight service quality dimensions Job satisfaction scores = 2.55/3 indicating job satisfaction average on seven worst salary adequacy/grievance redressed were most dissatisfying mean (SD) overall, low specific factors lowest highest_(salary_adequacy ):mean/SWSalary adequacy: [Image of Figure comprising the RATIOS for each drawing] NOTE: Total range. Chi-square analyses reveal significant differences in the delivery of most mandatory benefits. Regulatory enforcement of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, minimum wage legislations, and labor law provisions applied for private school teachers needs urgent attention, the finding |
