9 schools without principals
From Our Correspondent

PANCHKULA, Oct 21 — Many senior secondary schools in Panchkula district have been crying for staff, the shortage of which has over the years compounded their problems.

Of the total 21 government senior secondary schools in the district, nine are without principal. These posts have been lying vacant in many schools for several years now. Most of these schools are in Kalka subdivision.

The school in Mallah has been without a principal for over four years. This has been pointed out to the District Education Officer by the teachers several times, but with no effect.

This has also generated dissatisfaction among the students and their parents. Mr Bal Sharma, a parent whose child studies in Government Senior Secondary School, Mallah, says there is none in the school to whom a representation can be made and most of the time their grievances go unheard. Discipline has suffered and this has forced many parents to shift their children to private schools, he says.

Many of these schools are also deficient in teaching and non- teaching staff. There is hardly any extra-curricular activity in the schools. The buildings of most of these schools cry for maintenance. The academic record of many schools has also not been very encouraging.

Mr Pyare Lal Shastri, a Sanskrit teacher in the Mallah school, says there has been no internal promotions during the past couple of years and this has created dissatisfaction among the teachers, he adds.

The Director, Senior Secondary Schools, Haryana, Mr P.K. Mahapatra, has, however, promised to fill all the vacant posts of principal within a week through internal promotions.