Hyderabad: At least 12 of the 31 Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) in Telangana are functioning without regular principals, according to official data sourced from the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) Hyderabad Regional Office website.Records show these schools are currently being headed by in charge or additional in charge principals, who say the additional role, along with frequent transfers, have now started to overburden them.The issue came to light after the Union education ministry recently informed the Rajya Sabha stating that 344 of India’s 1,257 KVs do not have a regular principal. Incidentally, Telangana’s count of vacancies at 39% is well above the national average of 27.4%.The affected schools span across the state right from Gachibowli and Dundigal to districts such as Adilabad, Warangal, Siddipet, Sircilla, Nizamabad, Mahabubabad, and Miryalaguda.Confirming this, an official from the KVS Hyderabad Regional Office told TOI that the posts have been vacant for varying periods in each of these schools — from three months to three years. “Some of the affected schools are newly-opened KVs, hence they still do not have a regular principal. However, we have experienced officers who have been put in charge,” he said, adding that the recruitment process is underway in many of these schools.However, senior KVS officials and in charge principals, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the prolonged vacancies were beginning to put pressure on school administration. “A principal isn’t just the academic head. They look after finances, staff matters, payroll, contractual appointments and the overall administration of the school. When a teacher or vice-principal is asked to hold additional charge, all of those responsibilities get added on top of their regular teaching work,” one official said.Another in charge, highlighting the gravity of the problem, said, “In some schools, even librarians, physical education teachers and primary teachers have been asked to hold charge because there is nobody else available. They do not have enough exposure to academics. The day-to-day work continues because someone always steps in, but a teacher handling additional charge cannot give the classroom the same time. The impact may not be visible immediately, but over time a school loses continuity in leadership when regular principals are not available. These factors have now started to impact the enrolment too.” This vice-principal was transferred four times recently to hold an in charge portfolio at the affected schools in the Hyderabad region.Officials also linked the delay to the ongoing recruitment process. “The latest recruitment introduced a two-stage examination with a descriptive paper for senior posts. The evaluation is taking longer because descriptive papers have to be assessed manually. I appeared for the second-stage examination myself in March and the results are still awaited. For those of us who are already employed, it is a wait. But for younger candidates who have been preparing for months, it is a genuine strain,” an in charge principal said.Officials added that vacancies also recur because many candidates from North posted to southern KVs seek transfers back to their home states or resign after securing state government jobs, leaving schools under in charge arrangements until fresh appointments are made. “This problem has been mainly prevalent in the southern and north-eastern region of the country,” another in-charge principal highlighted.Retd IAS officer Akunuri Murali and former chairman of the Telangana Education Commission, meanwhile, stressed how the absence of regular principals can have long-term implications despite schools continuing to function. “At least 30% to 40% of a school’s performance depends on its headmaster. A regular principal provides accountability and timely decision-making. An in charge arrangement may keep routine work going, but it is not a substitute for permanent leadership, especially if vacancies continue for long periods,” he said.He urged the govt to pay more attention to public education and treat it as a priority.
