Class IV employee made acting principal at Uttarakhand school amid teachers’ protest

Raju Giri, who was tasked with ringing the school bell, is now overseeing daily operations as acting principal - the first such case in Uttarakhand’s education history.

Image used for representative purpose. (Express Illustrations)

DEHRADUN: In an extraordinary turn of events, a government school in Uttarakhand's Kumaon region has appointed its Class IV employee – typically responsible for tasks like ringing the school bell – as the acting principal.

This unprecedented situation has unfolded in Government Inter College (GIC) Khatera, a government inter-college in the remote Munsyari block of Pithoragarh district.

The decision comes amidst a widespread protest by government teachers across the state, who have declared their refusal to undertake any departmental work or administrative duties beyond teaching. This includes relinquishing the charge of acting principals in various GIC and high schools, a move that has thrown the entire education department into disarray.

At GIC Khatera, which lacked a permanent principal, Hindi lecturer Chhote Singh was serving as the acting head. Following the teachers' union directive, he formally resigned from his administrative role, submitting a letter complete with signature and seal. With no other staff available or willing to take charge, the sole Class IV employee, Raju Giri, was left to shoulder the principal's responsibilities.

Raju Giri, whose primary role involves tasks like ringing the school bell and other support functions, will now oversee everything from administrative decisions to daily operations. This marks the first time in the history of the state's education department that a Class IV employee has been appointed as an acting principal.

According to available information, GIC Khatera has the Hindi lecturer (who resigned), one other permanent teacher, and five guest teachers, besides Raju Giri. While permanent teachers are refusing administrative roles as part of their agitation, guest teachers are legally barred from holding any government administrative responsibility. It is under the provisions of these rules, and in the absence of other eligible staff, that the responsibility of acting principal has been handed to the Class IV employee.

Commenting on this unusual situation, which he attributes to a lack of administrative coordination, Digambar Arya, the Block Education Officer (BEO) for Munsyari, expressed his disapproval.

"Government teachers are making ill-advised decisions as part of their agitation, which ultimately harms both students and departmental interests," Arya stated.

"If the acting principal of GIC Khatera needed to hand over charge, he should have contacted me. Their decision is unacceptable, and appropriate action will be taken in this matter soon."

The Director of Secondary Education, Dr Mukul Sati, declared the incident extremely grave, promising strict disciplinary action once an inquiry report is received.

Speaking to TNIE, Sati stated, "This matter has been taken very seriously, and explanations have been sought from both the Chief Education Officer (CEO) and the Block Education Officer (BEO). Disciplinary action will be initiated once the inquiry report is submitted."

Emphasising the gravity of the situation, he added, "This is no ordinary incident. Tampering with a student's future cannot be tolerated. A teacher's primary responsibility is to nurture a student's future, and any oversight in this regard will be deemed a serious act of indiscipline."