In UP school, headmaster absent, his driver ‘teaching’ in classroom

“It was found that the headmaster was absent from the school, while his driver was present and looking after the children,” said Hamirpur Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Alok Singh.

Responding to allegations that Singh’s driver was taking classes, the BSA said the driver was present at the school when checked, and the inquiry will determine whether he was actually teaching. “I have suspended the headmaster and ordered an inquiry into the matter,” he said, adding that the probe will determine the circumstances and responsibility in the case.

The incident came to light at a time when the state government is facing criticism from various political parties and others over its decision to pair primary schools across the state. Under this system, schools with fewer than 50 students are linked with nearby larger schools.

According to an official, a complaint was received alleging that the headmaster’s driver was conducting classes at the primary school in the Kapsa area, under the Maudaha locality.

Acting on the tip-off, an education department official was sent to carry out a surprise inspection of the school. During the inspection, it was found that out of the three teachers posted at the school — including headmaster Singh — only one teacher was present. Another teacher was on leave, while the headmaster himself was absent. In his place, the headmaster’s driver, Ram Sahay, was allegedly present inside a classroom.

There are about 1.32 lakh primary schools, with nearly 1.48 crore students, across the state. Under the state government’s school pairing policy, 10,784 schools have been identified for pairing. While many have already been paired, the process is still underway for several others.

According to the government, the objective is to improve the quality of education, reduce dropouts, and provide students with facilities such as smart classes and libraries. The government further stated that pairing will benefit both students and teachers, offering students greater opportunities for healthy competition and peer learning, as well as enabling group discussions, project work, and large-scale cultural and sports activities.

While instructions are awaited on the deployment of teachers and other staff from the paired schools, most of them are reporting to the newly assigned schools.