Jagrutiben Patel, who complained of cramps and vomiting, and Anjana Brahmbhatt were shifted to the hospital late in the evening. Both are on a fast unto death for the past four days.

The teachers are fighting for better wages, benefits and other facilities according to the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations, even as more schools joined in the fight on Monday.

While the teachers are adamant in their stand, the school managements have pointed out that with the DEO not allowing them to increase fees, it was impossible to pay revised wages. Meanwhile, the district education officer, representatives of school managements, and striking teachers are meeting at the Nagar Prathamik Shikshan Samiti to work a way out.

The Surat Shahar Manya Khangi Prathamik Shikshak Sangh (SSMKPSS), which has been spearheading the agitation, announced a number of agitational programmes, under which teachers will embark on a two-wheeler rally, `Shikshan Jagruti Abhiyan' on Tuesday and urge teachers of various primary schools to boycott teaching in their respective schools. After passing through the main thoroughfares of the city, the rally will terminate at the collectorate, where the teachers are on a fast. Besides, the teachers have also organised a ramdhun, ``to instill some wisdom into minds of the collector, DEO and the Education officer of the Nagar Prathamik Shikshan Samiti (NPSS)''. The teachers are also planning slogan-shouting outside the collectorate on Tuesday.

Talking to Express Newsline, District Education Officer Natwar Parmar said that he had issued orders to the Nutan High School to pay revised salaries to teachers, without charging any additional fees to the students. ``However, there are many other demands and management representatives are meeting the striking teachers to sort out these,'' he said. Parmar stated that he was concerned only with the fee and opening of new schools aspects of the deadlock and it was the administrative officer of the NPSS who maintained lists of teachers and finalised various benefits that they would be receiving.

However, according to sources, the school managements had decided to take a tough stand towards teachers and were thinking of acquiring a court notice terming the strike illegal. Sources point out that the school managements had a strong point as they had been directed by the government not to increase fees. If the managements get a court notice and still teachers continue with their stir, the managements will close down their schools. It may be noted that an umbrella organisation Vaalimandal was formed by parents of students studying in different private educational institutions, who had embarked on a strike by not sending their wards to schools in protest against a fee hike.