'Principals to go back to class'

Principals of schools across India may soon head back to class under a national plan drafted by an expert panel set up by human resource development minister Kapil Sibal to train school administrators in modern leadership skills.

Principals of schools across India may soon head back to class under a national plan drafted by an expert panel set up by human resource development minister Kapil Sibal to train school administrators in modern leadership skills.

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The panel, headed by National University for Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) Vice Chancellor R Govinda, has proposed a first-ever national programme and network of institutions dedicated to training school administrators.

A proposed National Programme for Leadership Training in School Education should be implemented by a national authority headed by the HRD minister, the panel has said in recommendations to the ministry, top government sources told HT.

The programme is to be implemented through a National Centre for Leadership Training in School Education supported by a network of similar institutes across the country, the report of the panel says.

The National Centre can be supported with five other regional centres to start with, but the network must be expanded to over 20 centres across India over a five year span, the panel has recommended.

The panel blueprint proposes a detailed 10-month course at the centres. “The blueprint is aimed at creating a cadre of school administrators trained in modern leadership skills, within five years,” a member of the expert panel said.

Sibal set up the panel last year after extensive meetings with school principals, and the minister is keen to put in place a national programme for training school administrators in skills that will allow them to lead their institutions into the future.