Unfortunately, this is just how the civil service works. Take on appointment first, then wait for salary scale to catch up. Believe it works the same for MX scheme as well…

That said, I don't think it's a terrible deal. Young KP who consistently prove themselves should find themselves receiving good performance grades, higher merit increment, and faster promotions. Shouldn't all take that long for a GEO4 HOD to climb up the ranks… (or has it also slowed dramatically in recent years?)

But whatever the case, the KP HOD's salary is likely to go up significantly faster than his teaching peers'. While I don't think it's unfair to wish for a fair pay when taking on management duties, assuming there's no change in the system... I hope that young middle managers are also able to look past the short-term gap and appreciate the long-term advantage in remuneration they do enjoy, as compared to their peers.