SHIMLA: Thousands of primary teachers from across Himachal Pradesh converged at the historic Chaura Maidan in Shimla on Sunday after completing a 15-day statewide foot march.They launched a major protest against the state government’s School Complex System and announced an indefinite relay hunger strike until their demands are met, news agency ANI reported.The protest, organised by the Himachal Pradesh Primary Teachers Federation, drew serving and retired teachers, mid-day meal workers, multi-task workers and other employees from the education sector.Federation leaders claimed that teachers from remote tribal areas, including Pangi and Dodra Kwar, also participated in the agitation.The teachers are demanding the rollback of the School Complex System, introduced by the Himachal Pradesh government in September 2025, under which several primary, middle and senior secondary schools have been brought under a single administrative head.
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Addressing the gathering, federation leaders alleged that the policy has weakened the primary education system by reducing the administrative autonomy of primary schools and adversely affecting teacher deployment.Himachal Pradesh Primary Teachers Federation president Ramesh Sharma said the federation’s 15-day “Save Primary Education” march concluded in Shimla with participation from across the state.“The new complex system implemented by the Himachal Pradesh government is destroying the primary education system that has existed for decades. Earlier, one principal was responsible for one school, but now 15 to 20 schools have been placed under a single principal. This has adversely affected primary education and several categories of staff, including JBT teachers, nursery teachers and other employees,” Sharma said.He alleged that nearly 200 primary schools across the state frequently operate without teachers because of deployment practices under the new system.Sharma announced that federation office-bearers began an indefinite relay hunger strike on Sunday outside the directorate of school education in Shimla.“This relay hunger strike will continue until the Himachal Pradesh government accepts our legitimate demands, withdraws the new complex system and addresses our other pending demands. If our concerns are ignored, the federation will further intensify its statewide agitation,” he said.Referring to earlier discussions with the government, Sharma said the federation had previously suspended its protests after receiving assurances from the education minister and the chief minister, but alleged that those promises were not honoured.“We have started this movement during the summer vacation and organised today’s protest on a Sunday so that students’ education is not suffer. We do not want children’s studies to be affected, but we are determined to save primary education,” he added.The federation president claimed that more than 15,000 people attended Sunday’s protest and thanked panchayat representatives, local residents, media personnel and various employee organisations for supporting the 15-day march.The protest coincided with Kargil Vijay Diwas, and Sharma paid tribute to the soldiers who laid down their lives in service of the nation.Federation leaders claimed that around 20,000 serving primary teachers in Himachal Pradesh are part of the movement, with support also coming from nearly 40,000 retired teachers, Anganwadi workers and other employees, taking the total number of supporters to nearly one lakh.Prakash, a specially-abled primary teacher from Karsog in Mandi district, reached the protest in a wheelchair.“Our foot march began on July 11 and concluded in Shimla today. Our principal demand is the complete withdrawal of the School Complex System because it is adversely affecting primary education,” Prakash said.“We had a meeting with the CM, who assured us that he would come and address our concerns. We hope he will visit the protest site and announce the withdrawal of the complex system,” he added.Responding to the protest, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said most of the teachers’ key demands had been accepted.“Most of their major demands have been accepted. We have decided to amend the School Complex System, and a committee will be constituted to recommend the necessary changes. I had promised that I would meet them, and today I came to their gathering,” Sukhu said.He added that the School Complex System would be improved based on the concerns raised by teachers and indicated that the government was open to reconsidering the policy altogether.“The Complex System will be improved based on their concerns, and if there is a need to withdraw it, that decision will also be taken at the appropriate time. All their demands have been accepted,” the chief minister said.Sukhu also announced that FIRs registered against teachers during the course of the agitation would be withdrawn.“I have given them this assurance and announced it from their stage,” he said.Despite the assurances, the protesting teachers said they would continue their agitation until the government formally notifies the changes and addresses their pending demands.(With agency inputs)
