For the past twelve days, vocational education across Himachal Pradesh has come to a grinding halt. More than 2,174 vocational teachers, responsible for imparting skill-based training to students from Classes 9 to 12, have been staging a peaceful protest in Shimla, demanding the end of the private outsourcing system and urging the government to adopt the Haryana model of direct employment.
The ongoing agitation has severely impacted over 80,000 students in more than 1,100 government schools, where vocational training subjects have been discontinued for a week. Despite the scale of the crisis, the State Education Department has not held a single round of talks with the protesting teachers.
Why are the teachers protesting?
The vocational teachers are currently hired through private companies empanelled by the government. The teachers argue that this outsourcing model is exploitative, unstable, and results in financial leakages. Their key demand is to scrap the third-party hiring model and instead employ them directly through the Education Department, similar to the system implemented in Haryana.
Importantly, the teachers have clarified that they are not seeking regular government jobs, nor are they demanding any additional salary hikes. Their primary plea is for job security and respect. They emphasize that this change would not burden the state exchequer—in fact, it would result in annual savings of Rs 8–10 crore that are currently being paid to the outsourcing firms.
Previous promises and delays
This is not the first time the teachers have raised this issue. In November 2024, a similar 11-day strike was held, after which Education Minister Rohit Thakur had assured the teachers that their concerns would be addressed. A committee was subsequently formed to study employment models in other states.
Sources close to the committee confirm that it submitted a recommendation in favour of adopting the Haryana model, where vocational teachers are directly recruited and paid by the state’s Education Department. However, even after months of delay, no concrete action has been taken.
Protest site turns into open-air crèche
At Chaura Maidan in Shimla, the protest site resembles more of a sit-in camp of resilience. Many female teachers have brought their infants and toddlers with them, underscoring the desperation and commitment of the protesters. Despite the discomfort, they continue their peaceful agitation.
“It’s disheartening that the Education Department has not even tried to speak with us once in these eleven days,” said Neeraj Bansal, Secretary of the Himachal Vocational Teachers Association.
He added, “The government says this is a central scheme, so they are helpless. But Haryana also followed the same scheme and still chose to hire teachers through the department. Why can’t Himachal do the same?”
Himachal’s over-reliance on outsourcing
Currently, over ten outsourcing companies are registered with the Himachal government to manage hiring for vocational courses. Teachers allege that this system has turned education into a profit-driven business, where educational quality and worker dignity are compromised.
They fear that if the government fails to act soon, students will continue to suffer, and trust in public schooling could erode further.
What is vocational education?
Vocational teachers are employed under a centrally sponsored scheme to train school students in skills that make them employable after Class 12. Ninety percent of the funding comes from the central government, and ten percent from the state. Despite this, the teachers’ employment model is entirely at the discretion of the state government.
The road ahead
While the government remains silent, the protest shows no signs of stopping. The striking teachers are firm in their demand for systemic change, and public pressure is slowly building. As the deadlock continues, the biggest sufferers remain the students—young minds now deprived of essential training for their future.
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