Cabinet gives nod, Bihar to recruit school heads through BPSC exam

PATNA The Bihar cabinet on Tuesday cleared a proposal to create separate cadres of head teachers in primary schools and head masters in the higher secondary schools of the state, two days after chief minister Nitish Kumar made an announcement to this effect in his Independence Day address in Patna

PATNA

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The Bihar cabinet on Tuesday cleared a proposal to create separate cadres of head teachers in primary schools and head masters in the higher secondary schools of the state, two days after chief minister Nitish Kumar made an announcement to this effect in his Independence Day address in Patna.

So far, government school teachers appointed through panchayati raj institutions were promoted as school heads, who will now be recruited by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) through a competitive examination, education minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said, adding that the decision reflected the government’s focus on improving quality of education in government schools.

“Bihar will appoint 40,500 head teachers in primary schools and 5,300 head masters in the higher secondary schools. For higher secondary schools, those out of the government school system could also apply, but they would require slightly higher experience than the eight years required for government school teachers. It is a great move as the schools lacked leadership. It would help improve the atmosphere on campuses,” he said, while thanking the chief minister.

Implementing the new process will require amending the regulations for school teachers that were announced just ahead of the assembly elections last year, which stipulated appointment of headmasters and head teachers through promotion of teachers fulfilling the required qualifications.

Sanjay Kumar, principal secretary at the department of education, said it was a major policy decision. “The guidelines for the appointment of headmasters will be framed first. Later, we will change the regulations announced last year, which were for teachers appointed through panchayati raj institutions since 2006. Now, the cadre of headmasters and head teachers will be of the state level. All teachers could participate in the competition, subject to qualifications. Details will be published soon,” he said.

At present, a large number of schools are without headmasters and the matter has been raised in the Bihar legislature time and again.

The principal secretary said the cadre of headmasters for secondary schools will be at the divisional level and the one for head teachers for primary schools at the district level. “For high schools, those with requisite qualifications could participate in the competition even from outside the government school system. Those working with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CICSE) schools could also participate. The basic objective is to bring in quality people in schools,” he said.

The move is in line with the Union ministry of Human Resource development’s suggestion last year to the states to consider filling 50% posts of headmasters in primary and upper primary schools through direct recruitment.

The lack of quality education in government schools has often caused a lot of embarrassment despite growing enrolment, incentives and expenditure and even drawn flak from the Patna High Court.

With the new move, the government, said a senior official, will provide a platform to meritorious teachers to excel and join the government cadre.

A push for quality in education

Current process

As per new regulations announced just ahead of assembly polls last year, school heads are appointed through promotion of teachers fulfilling the required qualifications through panchayati raj institutions.

New policy

A separate cadre will be built for school heads, to be selected through a competitive exam, which will be open to teachers even outside the government school system. School heads will be govt employees.

Centre’s nudge

The move is in keeping with the Union HRD ministry’s suggestion last year to the states to consider filling 50% posts of headmasters in primary and upper primary schools through direct recruitment.