The ongoing process of transfer of teachers though somewhat delayed is finding favour among teachers and their organisation for its transparency. The teacher organisations that used to be very vocal in their opposition every time the transfers were done in past are surprisingly mum this time with many of the office bearers even congratulating the department for fair transfers this time.
The education department had released the list of compulsory transfers on Monday night, the list contained names of 806 primary teachers. Maximum number of 145 transfers of primary teachers was done in Pithoragarh district. In addition to them 218 lecturers and lecturer Teachers (lT) were transferred by the department in Kumaon division.
The State President of Rajkiya Shikshak Sangh (RSS), Karnel Singh said that the state government should implement the Transfer act so that the transfers are done on time. The President of Garhwal division of RSS, Ram Singh Chauhan said that the transfers are being done in a transparent manner this time. He however questioned the propriety of counseling of lT and lecturers for surplus posts scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday before the promotions. “The promotions of teachers are scheduled next month, shifting surplus teachers now makes no sense as most of these teachers would be again transferred next month after promotions”, he argued.
The President of Pauri district unit of Prathmik Shikshak Sangh (PSS), Manoj Jugran expressed his satisfaction on the transfers this time and termed them transparent. One of a teacher posted in Raipur block of Dehradun said that the concept of counseling was introduced for the first time in transfers due to which many teachers, who had lost hope of transfer to the place of their choice due to rampant corruption, got postings near cities this time.
It is worth mentioning here that the department which attained notoriety for favoritism and gross irregularities in the transfer of teachers adhered to the ‘School Teacher first appointment, Promotion, transfer posting (fourth amendment) guidelines 2014’ --popularly called transfer policy- in transfers of teachers this year. The Director General (DG) of School education, D Senthil Pandian was very particular about implementing the policy in letter and spirit. The DG even cancelled all the attachments and transferred teachers declared surplus after process of rationalization. The department has released a schedule of transfers according to which on request transfers would be done on July 13 while the date of inter district transfers is July 20.