SANGRUR, Aug. 7 -- The teaching and the non-teaching staff of the Adarsh Schools continued their protest for a salary hike for the second consecutive day, prompting the education department to depute substitute teachers to minimise disruption to classes.

Amandeep Singh Shastri, the convener of the Adarsh School Teaching and Non-Teaching Association, Punjab, said the teachers and other staff had been working on meagre salaries for years.

The protesters said the 24 Adarsh Schools, established across the state in 2011 under a 70:30 public-private partnership (PPP) model, follow the CBSE curriculum, charge no admission or tuition fees, and provide free mid-day meals. Shastri said each school, on average, has an enrolment of around 2,000 stu...