Jamshedpur, Nov. 5: The ongoing strike by para teachers in the state has affected the students of government schools.

Some one lakh teachers of are on strike and students of about 1,906 school of East Singhbhum district are being affected as the teachers are not taking classes.

The para teachers of the state are on an indefinite strike from November 1 demanding permanent recruitment and a pay revision. According to the pay revision made by the state government last year, the graduate para teachers are entitled to get Rs 5,100 but it has not been implemented so far.

The intermediate para teachers get Rs 2,500 while the graduates get around Rs 3,000.

“We have been demanding increase in pay scale from last year but no action has been taken so far. Though according to 2007 norms para teachers should get a better package, it has not been put into practice. We gheraoed the state Assembly on October 23 and chief minister Shibu Soren assured us that steps will be taken soon. As no action has been taken so far we are forced to resort to strike,” said Birsa Hembrom, the East Singhbhum district president of Jharkhand State Para Teachers’ Association.

The teachers’ association has also decided to demonstrate in front of district education office on November 10.

“There are some teachers who have completed eight years of service but are still there have been no revision of their pay scale in these years of service. They cannot ask for a hike as some of them did not complete their district primary education programme from Indira Gandhi National Open University,” said Hembrom.

However, district education officer P.N. Singh has tried to find out a new way to compensate the loss of the students. He has deputed members of Cluster Resource Centres and Village Education Committee to take their classes in schools where the teachers are on strike. “We cannot deny education to children as their teachers are on strike. As we cannot depend on the para teachers I have asked members of Cluster Resource Centres and Village Education Committee to teach till the strike ends,” said Singh.