Boardroom battle: Himachal teacher unions revolt against govt’s CBSE shift plan

The Himachal Pradesh Government’s proposal to relocate affiliation of 229 government schools from the Himachal Pradesh School Education Board (HPSEB) to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) from the next academic session 2026-27 has sparked sharp criticism and resentment among employees’ unions. Both the HPSEB Employees’ Union and the Himachal Government Teachers’ Union have demanded immediate withdrawal of the decision.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had earlier announced, during the Independence Day celebrations this year, that 200 government schools would adopt a CBSE-based curriculum and be affiliated to the Central board. However, unions have called the decision “impractical” and harmful to students’ interests. Of the total schools identified, 42 are in Kangra and 34 in Shimla district.

A delegation of the HPSEB Employees’ Union, led by president Sunil Sharma, met Board Chairman Rajesh Sharma yesterday to register their protest. The union submitted a memorandum to the CM through the chairman, urging revocation of the move, arguing it was against the interests of students as well as the state board.

The union pointed out that the HPSEB curriculum reflects the state’s cultural, historical and geographical context, whereas CBSE lacks a local perspective, potentially weakening regional identity. It also highlighted that a large section of students in Himachal study in Hindi medium, while CBSE’s examination system is primarily English-based, creating additional barriers for rural and disadvantaged students. “Sudden implementation of CBSE curriculum will only increase mental and academic stress,” the memorandum noted.

Union president Sunil Sharma further rejected the perception that only CBSE students succeed in national-level exams like NEET, JEE and CUET, stressing that HPSEB students too have cracked these competitive tests in large numbers. “The government should focus on strengthening infrastructure, recruiting qualified teachers and empowering HPSEB instead of undermining it,” he said.

Echoing the criticism, Virender Chouhan, president of the Himachal Government Teachers’ Union, called the decision “unviable and chaotic”. He argued that government schools currently lack the infrastructure and teaching resources to adopt CBSE standards and that the move would only create confusion for teachers, students and parents. “The priority should be filling vacant posts of teachers, lecturers and principals and upgrading facilities in schools rather than shifting affiliations,” Chouhan said.