NEW DELHI: Nearly four years after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) flagged the shortage of school heads in Delhi’s government schools, 828 of the capital’s 1,230 schools—nearly 68%—continue to function without regular principals. The UPSC has now announced these vacancies under the Delhi government’s Education Department in an attempt to bridge the leadership gap.
The crisis first came into focus in 2022, when the NCPCR issued a notice to the Delhi chief secretary after finding that only 203 of the then 1,027 government schools had regular principals or head teachers.
The commission sought an explanation from the government, warning that the absence of school heads could adversely affect governance, accountability and students’ right to quality education.
Despite the warning, the shortage has persisted. Hundreds of schools continue to be run by officiating principals or teachers holding additional charge, often while managing multiple responsibilities.
A government school principal, requesting anonymity, said, “Such temporary arrangements in schools weaken institutional leadership, delay administrative decisions, affect teacher supervision and compromise the implementation of academic and welfare programmes. Think about the current situation when most teachers are on SIR duties, due to which attendance has come down severely.”
The recruitment will be conducted through direct selection. Principals will be appointed in Level 12 and vice-principals in Level 10 of the pay matrix.