Chandigarh, Dec 14 (IANS) The future of thousands of students in schools across Punjab hangs in the balance with the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) deciding to disaffiliate 187 schools in the state for not adhering to rules.

The affected schools have decided to observe a two-day shutdown this week to protest the decision.

The move comes as the schools failed to adhere to rules of the education board, especially on paying minimum prescribed basic salaries to their teachers.

PSEB chairman Dalbir Singh Dhillon said Monday that the schools have been disaffiliated following an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

‘We are only implementing the high court order. The schools have been dis-affiliated as they failed to give basic minimum salary to their teachers. If they fulfil our conditions, we will restore their affiliation,’ Dhillon said.

He added: ‘The minimum salary to teachers should be paid through account payee cheques. Teachers are being exploited by these schools. Rules are being violated.’

But managements of the dis-affiliated schools have decided to observe a shutdown for two days this week (Dec 15 and 16) to protest the PSEB decision.

‘The decision to dis-affiliate schools is discriminatory. Our schools do not charge hefty fee from students like leading schools in bigger cities. We can pay only limited salaries to teachers as our fee structure is less. We will oppose this,’ Affiliated Schools Association president Ravinder Singh Mann said.