Shimla: Primary school teachers and the Himachal Pradesh government remain at loggerheads over changes in the state’s primary education system. Under the banner of the Primary Teachers Association, thousands of educators from across the state assembled at Shimla’s historic Chaura Maidan on Sunday to protest against the newly introduced New Complex System.
Following inconclusive talks with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the association announced an indefinite relay hunger strike right after their mass rally.
Chief Minister Sukhu visited the protest site on Sunday to address the gathering. While attempting to diffuse tensions, he signaled major decisions in favor of the teaching community, emphasizing that there would be no compromise on primary education reforms or the dignity of teachers.
Sukhu announced that the state government is preparing to make major changes to the New Complex System, adding that the system could even be completely scrapped before Teacher’s Day (September 5) if deemed necessary in the interest of teachers and the education system.
To address the pending demands, the government has decided to constitute a special committee. The Chief Minister assured that a high-level meeting with this committee will be held before September 5 to take a final decision on all legitimate grievances.
In a major relief to the protesting educators, Sukhu also announced the complete withdrawal of all punitive actions taken during the agitation, including suspensions, departmental inquiries, and FIRs registered against primary teachers.
However, the teachers remain resolute. State President of the Primary Teachers Association, Ramesh Sharma, noted that the arrival of thousands of teachers in Shimla after a 15-day foot march demonstrates widespread dissatisfaction with the new system.
Sharma alleged that the state government and the education department are implementing the New Complex System to avoid fresh recruitment, which will burden the existing teaching staff. He highlighted that over 5,000 posts of Junior Basic Training (JBT) teachers are currently vacant, nursery teacher recruitment remains stalled, and primary schools across the state are functioning with nearly 50 percent staff shortages.
Expressing distrust over government assurances, Sharma stated that previous promises made by the Education Minister yielded no results. The association asserted that their agitation will continue until the notification for the New Complex System is officially revoked and concrete decisions are made on their pending demands, adding that they are prepared to extend their fight up to the 2027 Assembly elections if necessary.
