Recruitment for post of principals in govt-aided schools to start soon

Prayagraj: Preparations have begun to undertake the recruitment of principals and headmasters in more than 4,500 government-aided secondary schools spread across the state through a written examination.
At present, there is a system of recruiting principals directly through interviews after short-listing the candidates vying for the posts on offer. But on the orders of the state government, the officials of the Directorate of Education, Prayagraj, have prepared a proposal in this regard which will soon be sent to the government for formal approval, said a senior education department official requesting anonymity.
Under the changes proposed, assistant teachers will now be able to apply for the post of principals of government-aided intermediate colleges. Till now, assistant teachers or trained graduate teachers (TGTs) teaching in high schools could only apply for the post of headmaster in government-aided high schools while post-graduate teachers (PGTs) could apply for the post of principals of government-aided intermediate colleges. But the new proposal aims at removing this barrier against assistant teachers applying for the post of principal in government-aided intermediate colleges if they possess the requisite eligibility as specified, he added.
The development comes close on the heels of a meeting chaired by the special secretary of the state government, Jai Shankar Dubey on October 11 in Lucknow with representatives of the UP Secondary Teachers’ Association (Thakurai Group) in which the latter had demanded recruitment of the principals through written examination and an opportunity to assistant teachers to apply for the posts of principals in government-aided intermediate colleges.
State general secretary of UP Secondary Teachers’ Association (Thakurai Group) Lalmani Dwivedi said that post this meeting, the process of duly amending the UP Secondary Education Services Selection Board Rules-1998 to make the changes possible have been started by the state education directorate.
As per the proposal, henceforth for the selection of principal and headmaster, a written examination of 300 marks (60 per cent marks) out of the total 500 marks will be conducted. The remaining 200 marks will be earmarked for experience and interview, another senior state education department official confirming the development said.
The written exam will witness aspirants being tested through objective type questions regarding their general knowledge, educational aptitude, educational administration, school environment and health etc., he added.
Principals will be selected based on a merit list prepared at the state level instead of the divisional level as done presently, he further explained.