School principals get power to transfer teachers within cluster

Karam Prakash

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Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 15

The Punjab Education Department has given the authority for transferring the teachers within the cluster to the principals of the senior secondary schools. The move is to address the issue of the shortage of teachers.

In fact, different clusters will be formed and the principal of one senior secondary school will be notified as the in-charge of his respective cluster. Wherever there is a shortage of teachers and the cluster in-charge deems it fit to move in the teachers from some other school, he will be authorised to do so. However, the designated in-charge will be authorised to make adjustments only within his/her own cluster.

The move is said to have came after a series of meeting of the Education Secretary with principals and District Education Officers. In meetings, it was suggested that school principals may be allowed to change services of teachers as in some of the schools, teachers were in surplus, while some were facing staff crunch.

The department said following the complaints of the shortage of teachers from various village panchayats, they had decided to make the said arrangement of designating the power to principals.

The list of the schools falling within the cluster shall be decided by the Director, Public Instructions (SE), on the recommendation of the District Education Officer.

If some cluster in-charge is still unable to meet the shortage, the respective DEOs will do the adjustment through DPI.

However, the said arrangement of decentralisation of power will be temporary till the end of the academic session or till the vacant posts are filled up, whichever is earlier.

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Krishan Kumar said: “There is a tendency of teachers being posted in middle schools where the number among students is usually less, whereas high school and senior secondary schools are short of teachers. This became more prominent during recent transfers. Also, for better control and to empower the school principals, it was essential.”