Hamirpur: A primary school headmaster in Uttar Pradesh’s Hamirpur district has been suspended and is facing a formal inquiry after his driver was allegedly found teaching students in his absence. The incident came to light during a surprise inspection of the school in the Kapsa area under the Maudaha locality, prompting immediate action by education officials.
The school, which has 79 students and three teachers including headmaster Veeru Singh, was found to have only one teacher present during the inspection, as another was on leave and the headmaster was absent. Instead, Singh’s driver, Ram Sahay, was reportedly inside a classroom attending to the children. Hamirpur Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Alok Singh confirmed that the driver was present but said the inquiry would determine whether he was actually conducting classes. “I have suspended the headmaster and ordered an inquiry into the matter,” Alok Singh said, adding that the probe will clarify the circumstances and assign responsibility.
The incident arises amid ongoing criticism of the Uttar Pradesh government’s school pairing policy, under which primary schools with fewer than 50 students are linked to nearby larger schools. According to government figures, the state has approximately 1.32 lakh primary schools educating nearly 1.48 crore students. So far, 10,784 schools have been identified for pairing, with many already merged and others in progress.
The state government has defended the policy, stating that it aims to improve education quality, reduce dropout rates, and provide students with better facilities such as smart classes and libraries. The pairing system is also designed to offer students greater opportunities for healthy competition, peer learning, group discussions, project work, and participation in large-scale cultural and sports activities. While instructions on the deployment of teachers and staff from paired schools are awaited, most are already reporting to their newly assigned institutions.