The Himachal Pradesh Education Department has agreed to most of the demands raised by primary school teachers following 109 days of protests and multiple rounds of demonstrations. The Rajkiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh has postponed its proposed statewide protest in Dharamshala on November 15. However, teachers will continue their rotational hunger strike until the government issues formal orders and notifications implementing the agreed demands.
A crucial meeting was held at the Directorate of Elementary Education on Wednesday, despite it being a holiday, to discuss the demands of primary teachers. The meeting was chaired by Director of Elementary Education Ashish Kohli, with representatives of the teachers’ union participating in detailed discussions on their 25-point charter of demands.
Following the meeting, both sides reached an agreement on most of the demands, reducing the deadlock that had continued for several months. The department also withdrew the notices issued during the teachers’ agitation.
The teachers’ union said the discussions were constructive but clarified that reaching an agreement would not automatically bring the agitation to an end. The rotational hunger strike outside the Directorate of Education will continue until the department issues the relevant official orders and notifications.
One of the key demands raised by primary teachers concerned the school complex system. Teachers had been demanding the withdrawal of this arrangement for a long time.
During Wednesday’s meeting, the department agreed to modify certain provisions of the school complex system. However, a decision to completely abolish the system was not taken. Details of the specific provisions to be changed will become clear after the official notification is issued.
Under the agreement, administrative control of primary education will continue to remain with Central Head Teachers, Head Teachers and Block Elementary Education Officers, as it was earlier.
The decision will allow the existing administrative structure of primary schools to remain in place.
The shortage of teachers in government primary schools was another major issue raised by the teachers’ union. Around 5,000 Junior Basic Training (JBT) teacher posts are vacant across the state.
The meeting reached an agreement on accelerating the recruitment process to fill these vacancies. Discussions were also held on transferring promotion-related posts from closed schools to other schools.
The teachers’ union maintained that the closure of schools should not adversely affect the promotion prospects of teachers who were working there.
The department also agreed to include the number of children enrolled in nursery classes in the total student enrolment of schools. This will ensure that nursery students are also counted when assessing the overall student strength of schools.
Under the school complex system, the mid-day meal arrangements of primary and senior secondary schools had been integrated. Primary teachers had been demanding changes to this arrangement for a considerable period.
At Wednesday’s meeting, both sides agreed to restore separate mid-day meal arrangements for the two school levels. Similarly, primary schools and senior secondary schools will have separate School Management Committees.
The proposed changes will allow decisions concerning primary school management to be taken through their respective committees.
The department also agreed to restart the Under-12 sports competitions that had been discontinued in primary schools. This will provide young students with opportunities to participate in district-level and state-level sporting competitions.
The issue of FIRs registered against some office-bearers of the teachers’ union and departmental action initiated against them during the agitation was also raised during the meeting.
The department and the teachers’ union agreed to withdraw these cases and proceedings. The development is expected to provide relief to teachers involved in the agitation. However, formal action by the concerned departments will be required to implement the decisions.
Rajkiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh state president Ramesh Sharma said a joint meeting involving the Education Department and the teachers’ union would be held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
The proposals agreed upon during Wednesday’s meeting are expected to receive final approval at this meeting. According to the union, the process of implementing the demands could be completed within the next seven to 10 days.
The teachers’ union has made it clear that a decision to end the rotational hunger strike will be taken only after the government issues the official notifications.
The primary teachers’ agitation progressed through several stages. On July 11, the teachers’ foot march, described as a Nyay Yatra, reached Shimla. Subsequently, a large protest was organised at Chaura Maidan on July 26, where the rotational hunger strike also began.
From October 2, teachers also started registering their protest by wearing black badges.
The agitation continued despite assurances from the Chief Minister, as written orders addressing the demands had not been issued.
After 109 days of protests, the agreement reached between the teachers’ union and the Education Department has raised expectations among teachers. The next steps will depend on the proposed meeting chaired by the Chief Minister and the subsequent issuance of official notifications by the department.
