When the Headmaster’s Seat is Taken by His Driver: The Disturbing Reality of UP’s Primary Schools
The shocking state of affairs in many government-run schools in Uttar Pradesh came into sharp focus yet again when a primary school headmaster in Hamirpur was suspended after his driver was allegedly found inside the classroom, “teaching” children in his absence.
What unfolded in the Kapsa area of Maudaha locality reads less like an isolated lapse and more like a symptom of a chronic illness eating away at the backbone of rural education.
During a surprise inspection by education officials, it was discovered that the school — which has 79 enrolled students and just three teachers, including headmaster Veeru Singh — had only one legitimate teacher present that day.
One teacher was on leave, the headmaster himself was missing, and in his place sat Ram Sahay, Singh’s driver, allegedly “looking after” the children. Whether he was actually teaching or simply keeping watch is now a matter of inquiry — but the symbolism is damning enough.
Rot Beyond One School
Hamirpur’s Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Alok Singh moved swiftly, suspending the headmaster and ordering a formal probe.
But to seasoned observers, this was just another reminder that in many of UP’s 1.32 lakh primary schools — serving nearly 1.48 crore children — absenteeism among teachers is rife.
Well-paid educators, drawing salaries funded by taxpayers, are often absent from classrooms for long stretches. In their place, underpaid substitutes — sometimes unqualified relatives, peons, or drivers — “manage” the class for a fraction of the salary, often paid out of the absent teacher’s pocket.
Empty Classrooms, Empty Futures
The results are tragically predictable. Children in such schools receive patchy, substandard instruction. Attendance among students also suffers — why walk to school every morning if no real teaching happens?
Parents who can’t afford private schooling face a cruel choice: accept that their child’s education will be compromised, or go into debt, cut household necessities, and somehow enroll them in a low-fee private “English medium” school that at least promises regular classes, even if the quality is only marginally better.
A Policy in Transition
The state government’s much-touted “school pairing” initiative — merging smaller schools with fewer than 50 students into larger, better-equipped ones — is supposed to address these gaps.
In theory, it will mean access to smart classrooms, libraries, group activities, and healthier peer competition. In practice, however, the transition is messy, with many teachers still unclear about their new postings and some paired schools functioning in limbo.
Until issues like rampant absenteeism, fake teaching arrangements, and lack of accountability are tackled head-on, even the most well-intentioned policies risk becoming yet another coat of paint over cracked walls — temporary and cosmetic.
Because when the person at the head of the classroom is replaced by the headmaster’s driver, it’s not just the dignity of the education system that’s on the line — it’s the future of an entire generation.
#EducationCrisis #UPSchools #TeacherAbsenteeism #GovernmentSchools #RuralIndia #RightToEducation #SystemicCorruption #SchoolPairing #IndiaEducationReform #HamirpurInciden
