Mir Farhat
SRINAGAR, Mar 18: While the teaching session has begun in the Valley after seven month long break, the Education Department has left many institutes headless, putting a question mark on improving efficiency of the sector.
Around 129 top posts, including principals, chief education officers and zonal Educational Officers are lying vacant in the Education Department from the last three years in the Valley alone, leaving the sector on the crutches of adhocism.
These vacant posts include 60 principals in DIET, 24 in Higher Secondary Schools, 45 ZEOs and seven CEOs despite the department have hundreds of eligible candidates available for years, sources in the department said.
In the DIET principals list, Srinagar, Shopian and Anantnag have four vacancies each, Pulwama, Baramulla, Kargil and Kupwara have five each, Ganderbal, Budgam and Bandipora six each, while Leh has seven and Kulgam three.
Among the 24 principals in Higher Secondary Schools, four posts are vacant each in Anantnag, Pulwama, Kargil and Kupwara, Budgam and Ganderbal have one post each, Bandipora five, Kulgam three and Leh has four higher secondary schools without heads.
These headless institutions has students and teachers worried who said that while the schools have resumed work after a long break but their smooth functioning will be hampered without principals.
“Having headless institutions adversely affects the academics of students and also impacts the work culture,” said a senior lecturer.
He said the department has gone into hibernation as the vacancies have led to mismanagement in its administrative affairs.
He said that the headless how the Government expect better results and quality education from the schools when they are without a proper supervision and management.
Sources said that instead of filling these posts, the department has resorted to incharge and adhocism methods.
“In a number of Higher Secondary Schools, one principal has been given charges of two institutes. And one DIET principal has been given two posts,” sources said, adding how can a single person manage two posts.
Director School Education Showkat Ahmad Beigh told Excelsior that the department is in the process of filling these vacancies from the last two weeks. “We have filled maximum vacancies and are in the process of filling those which are vacant,” Beigh said.
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