The Supreme Court has ordered the Himachal Pradesh Government to prescribe the salary structure for the teachers of unaided recognised private schools at the earliest under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, keeping in mind Article 39(d) of the Constitution which stipulates equal pay for equal work.

A Bench comprising Justices RV Raveendran and AK Patnaik issued the directive while disposing of a petition filed by teachers of the St Paul’s Senior Secondary School in the state seeking pay on par with their counterparts working in government schools.

Though the verdict is restricted to Himachal, it has thrown up a golden opportunity for teachers in such schools across the country to approach the respective state governments or the judiciary seeking similar benefit.