Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday assured protesting primary school teachers that the New Complex (Cluster) System, introduced last year, would be amended or even withdrawn after a meeting on the issue.

The Chief Minister made the announcement while addressing the protesting teachers at Chaura Maidan in Shimla amid slogans of ‘Complex system go back’. He also assured the teachers that FIRs and departmental inquiries initiated against them over the issue would be withdrawn.

Thousands of primary school teachers gathered at Chaura Maidan to protest against the system and demand its withdrawal. Under the Cluster system, principals of government senior secondary schools serve as the nodal officers and administrative heads for nearby high, middle and primary schools. Before the system was introduced, the primary education wing had its own separate administrative hierarchy. The government introduced the system to ensure that schools within a complex/cluster share resources, allow students from smaller satellite schools to benefit from advanced facilities at the hub schools, including modern ICT laboratories, well-equipped science labs, libraries and multi-purpose sports complexes.

The primary teachers undertook a 15-day ‘Nyay Yatra’ over their demands, which began in Kangra district on July 11 and culminated in a huge protest in Shimla today.