DAV Public School in CDA wears a deserted look after classes were suspended on Friday following teachers strike. (Below) Some of the agitating teachers. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, July 8: The indefinite strike by over 200 teachers of three DAV Public Schools in Cuttack has left nearly 8,000 students on tenterhooks.

The teachers, who are demanding salaries as per the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations, resorted to “ceasework” yesterday leading to suspension of classes in all three schools.

The ongoing dispute between the management and teachers over higher salaries has left students anxious as they feel it would affect their studies. Monthly exams would be disrupted and they fear their course would not be completed in time.

“I don’t know for how long the classes would remain suspended. This is a crucial year for me and I am worried,” said a Class X student of CDA Sector 6, DAV Public School.

“Though we attend private tuitions, an untimely break from regular classes is not a good thing. At school, we learn all subjects at one place but that is not possible when it comes to tuitions,” said a Class VIII student.

Parents, too, are hoping that the stalemate would end soon. “When the schools reopened after summer vacation, the classes were on in full swing. But the suspension of classes is likely to break the momentum,” said a parent whose daughter studies in Class V at DAV School, Rajabagicha.

A working mother, whose two children study at one of the three DAVs, is also getting stressed out. “My children are studying in junior classes. Since my husband and I both work, we are facing a lot of trouble. On regular days, the kids are in school the whole day so I don’t worry about them. But now, I am forced to find an alternative arrangement for them,” she said.

Some guardians said they were not informed that the classes would remain suspended from today. “My son had told me that teachers were not teaching anything in school since the last couple of days. But the authorities should have informed us in advance about the indefinite strike,” said another parent.

From Monday, Class XII students will attend a special camp, where principals of nearby schools will be teach them. The DAV school authorities had issued a notice to the students yesterday about the suspension of classes from today for an indefinite period in view the ongoing ceasework agitation by the teachers.

Apart from DAV schools at CDA and Rajabagicha, classes at Tulsipur DAV have also been suspended. Ironically, the fourth DAV at Gandarpur, which had initiated the agitation, is running regular classes following a discussion with the management.

“Though we had staged a demonstration earlier, we resumed duty in the larger interest of the students. The management has promised to look into our demands,” said a teacher of Gandarpur DAV.

However, teachers of Rajabagicha, Tulsipur and CDA DAV schools claimed that they had already given up their demand for implementation of Sixth Pay Commission recommendations in view of the financial constraint of the management.

“We have stopped teaching, but we have not stopped going to school to perform other official work. A higher salary is our legitimate demand. There are a number of teachers who had joined on a meagre salary of Rs 500. Our situation has not improved even after 21 years of service and we are getting only basic and 35 per cent dearness allowance as per the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations,” said a teacher of CDA DAV Public School.

“The demand of the teachers is justified but because of scarcity of resources we have not been able to meet it. There has been no revision in school fees since 2008-09 because of a high court verdict,” said Ipsita Das, principal of CDA DAV Public School.