Applicability of Labor Laws to Private Schools
All labor laws are applicable to schools run by private management, other than those under the control of the government. However, the Industrial Disputes Act shall have limited application, given that teachers do not come under these Acts. Similarly, the Standing Orders Act is also not applicable to schools, even though many states have mandated it in establishments to which the Payment of Wages Act is applicable.
In various states, minimum wages are notified for employees of private schools, but many of these apply only to non-teaching staff and do not cover teaching staff. While ESI and EPF are applicable to private school teachers, there is no mention of the applicability of the Employees' Compensation Act. Similarly, the Payment of Gratuity Act has been made applicable to schools, including teachers. Therefore, essentially, the applicability of labor laws to schools must be examined with reference to the state rules of each Act.