Assam to fill vacant headmaster posts in 18 districts by seniority

The Assam government has begun the process of filling vacant headmaster posts in higher secondary schools across 18 districts, The Sentinel reported on Monday.

An urgent communication has gone to the Inspectors of Schools in the districts concerned, asking them to start the selection process right away. Selections will be made on the basis of seniority.

The districts covered

The exercise covers Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Dhubri, Darrang, Dibrugarh, Cachar, Goalpara, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Jorhat, Kamrup (Rural), Kamrup (Metropolitan), Morigaon, Majuli, Nalbari, Sribhumi, South Salmara-Mankachar and Tinsukia.

Districts that fall under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, and districts where related cases are pending before the Gauhati High Court, have been kept out of this round. In Assam, Sixth Schedule areas include the Bodoland Territorial Region and the hill districts of Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, where autonomous councils have their own powers over education.

The timeline

According to the communication, the schedule runs in three stages:

• District-level selection, based on seniority, to be completed by November 11.
• District-level selection committees to be formed between November 12 and November 16.
• Lists of selected candidates to be forwarded to the state level by November 26.

A state-level committee will then publish the final list of candidates selected for appointment as headmasters. The communication did not say how many posts are vacant in total or when appointment orders are expected.

Why it matters

Headmasters run day-to-day administration in schools, from timetables and examinations to mid-day meals, staff management and record-keeping for central and state schemes. Where the post is vacant, the job usually falls to a senior teacher acting in charge, on top of a full teaching load.

Filling these posts through a fixed timeline could ease that burden in a large number of schools before the board examination season early next year. Because selection is by seniority, the most senior eligible teachers in each district are the ones in line for the posts.

The report did not give details of the High Court cases that led to some districts being left out of this round.

What next

Teachers in the 18 districts can expect district lists to take shape over the next fortnight. The final state-level list is due after November 26. NEInsider will report the final list and the number of posts once the School Education Department or the Directorate makes them public.