Aizawl: The Government Lumpsum Grant-in-Aid Higher Secondary School Association launched an indefinite strike from Monday, along with NGOs and different political parties and nine government grant-in-aid higher secondary schools in Mizoram, demanding ad hoc status for the schools.

The nine schools have been monitored and managed through public contribution and funds for more than 14 years.

The secondary school association's secretary, R. Lalfakawma, said they had made several appeals to the state government to upgrade the schools to ad hoc status but to no avail.

He said leaders of the association recently met education minister H. Rohluna, who told them that the government right now is not in a position to upgrade the schools due to financial constraint and promised to look into the matter once the financial position is stable.

He said the indefinite closure of the nine schools was launched in protest against the government's negligence.

According to the leader, all the nine schools - Phullen Higher Secondary School (HSS), Farkawn HSS, N.E Khawdungsei HSS, E. Lungdar HSS, Thingsulthliah HSS, Tuisualral HSS, Zobawk HSS, West Phaileng HSS and Zawlnuam HSS - were established roughly in and before 2004 and they have been looked after by villagers under a managing board for around 14 years.

He said the strike has affected at least 850 students in the nine schools and it was well supported by villagers, all NGOs, student unions and political parties.

Earlier on June 7, the nine schools under the aegis of the association had staged a demand day or non-teaching day to register a protest against the government failure to upgrade the schools.