LUCKNOW, June 16 -- It has been a long time since recruitments were carried out for permanent principals in government-aided secondary schools (13 yrs) and degree colleges (5 yrs) in the city. The prolonged gap is taking a toll on administration, accountability, and the quality of education, teachers' bodies claim. According to officials of the teachers' associations, the problem is compounded at times when neither the principal is able to make long-term decisions nor the management, and neither do the teachers take their decisions seriously - creating problems in functioning. Provincial vice-president UP Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh, RP Mishra said that most schools are currently being run by ad-hoc or in-charge principals instead of regular, permanent appointees. "When schools do not have permanent principals, they cannot function properly. Decision-making gets delayed, accountability is missing, and the overall academic environment suffers. "People feel the ad-hoc principal will be removed any day, so neither do they pay attention themselves, nor does the school staff cooperate fully, thinking 'he will go soon anyway'. Advertisements for regular posts have not been issued. Three years have passed since the formation of UPESC but permanent appointments are still pending," Mishra said. He emphasised that quality education requires: subject-trained teachers and permanent principals. "Students are the ones who ultimately bear the loss," he said, while urging officials to expedite the recruitment process and issue advertisements for permanent principal posts without further delay to ensure smooth administration and better learning outcomes in secondary schools across UP. The crisis of ad-hoc leadership in UP's government-aided secondary schools and government-aided degree colleges is deeper than just vacant posts, said teacher leader Amit Rai. "Without financial powers and long-term security, in-charge principals cannot take decisions, derailing institutional growth. Management often appoints junior staff as in-charge principals, and the post is used to 'get work done as per their wish' - barring any checks and balances. "Besides, despite added responsibility, salary remains unchanged. The lack of incentives, combined with pressure from management, has led to high attrition. A few years back when the posts for government-aided degree colleges were publicised - most did not join, or those who did left due to management pressure. The ad-hoc or acting principals are constrained by some financial rights, which compounds the problem. At many places there are missing financial powers, so even basic work cannot be done," said Rai. Lucknow University Associated Colleges Teachers' Association Manoj Pandey also said that lack of principals leads to colleges missing out points during accreditation. "When most colleges have several professors it is time that departments get permanent principals for a tenure of five years on rotation so that the principals no longer work on the goodwill of the management," said Pandey. Chairperson of the UP Education Selection Commission (UPESC), Prashant Kumar said, "The delay is not on the part of the UPESC. We can only initiate the recruitment process once we receive requisition from the concerned department. Recently, we received information for inducting principals for 111 posts in degree colleges from the higher education department after which the commission has initiated the process of recruitment."...