ASPIO demands implementation of HC order in R&P rules

Association of School Principals and Inspection Officer (ASPIO) has demanded the Himachal government to promote principals to deputy directors education (DDE) based on the numerical strength of the feeding cadres (principal-lecturer cadre and principal-headmaster cadre) as ordered by the high court.

ASPIO state president Dr Narinder Sharma said so far the education department has not followed the promotional ratio rule (R&P rules) for the post of principals (2013). He said the state has in all 16,500 lecturers and 850 headmasters (95:05 ratio) as feeding cadre for the post of principals. He said education department avoiding high court order still following 21 years old R&P rules for the promotion of principal-lecturer cadre and principal-headmaster cadre to the post of DDE, in 2:3 ratio respectively.

Sharma said there should have been one integrated seniority list of principals on the analogy of integrated seniority list of other departments of the state. He said to pass the departmental examination, financial administration paper-I was not compulsory for headmaster cadre while being promoted from headmaster to principal, which was in contrary to the Departmental Examination Rules, 1997. "However, this is compulsory for the lecturer cadre while be promoted from lecturer to principal," he said. Adding he said that "According to R&P rules, 2008, for the promotion of a headmaster to the post of principal, maximum experience as a headmaster had been reduced to two years and later to a probation period of one year."

Sharma said there were two set of rules to favour headmaster cadre. "For promotion of trained graduate teachers (TGT's) to the post of headmasters and promotion seniority lists, cumulating with TGT's 15% by promotion from JBT's, 10% through promotion from C&V teachers and 37.5% through direct recruitment. As there are two seniority lists of principals; Principal Lecturer cadre and Principal Headmaster cadre for the promotion of Principals to the post of DDE's he said.

Sharma said principal-headmaster cadre were getting three promotions within five to six years -- first as headmaster, than as principal (contrary to departmental examination Rules, 1997) and third as DDE. "These promoted DDE's in 2013 are now controlling officers of principal-lecturer cadre (2001 batch), who earlier may have been their reporting officers and are principals even after 13 years of service," said Sharma.

Sharma charged that the anomalies of education department have led to promotion of junior principals of headmaster cadre of 2008 and 2009 batch to the post of DDE. He urged chief minister Virbhadra Singh to intervene in the matter and review the Regularization & Promotion rules (R & P) for the post of principals and deputy directors of education department.