Nearly 60,000 primary schools in Bihar without headmasters

Nearly 60,000 of the 73,000 government primary schools in Bihar, mostly in rural areas, do not have a "proper" headmaster. In many cases, teachers have been made in-charge on a temporary basis, an official said Monday.

"Eighty percent of the primary schools in Bihar are running without proper headmasters. In many places, teachers have been made in-charge of these schools to manage it on temporary basis..., " an official of the education department said.

According to officials, senior teachers were not been promoted to the post of headmasters as they failed to fulfill some qualifications and criteria as per the government policy.

At present, there are 85,000 permanent primary school teachers who get a monthly salary, unlike over one lakh contractual teachers in primary schools.

Amarjit Sinha, principal secretary at the education department, said the government is serious to speed up appointments and promotion of headmasters in primary schools.

"We have initiated steps to appoint permanent headmasters in primary and middle schools. The process will start in June itself," said Sinha.