Policy on hold, yet teacher transfers on
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 24
Even as the transfer policy for school staff has been put on hold by the state government, the Education Department is going ahead with the shifting of teachers. Besides transferring nearly 3,000 teachers recently, Education Minister OP Soni on Tuesday issued orders for 160 more. A list of at least another 200 teachers has been prepared for Wednesday.
Sources said the department had already submitted a draft transfer and rationalisation policy with the office of the Education Minister. Soni, however, said it would be reworked after certain “missing links” were found in the draft. Avoiding any comment on the “missing links”, the minister said: “There are certain technical matters that need a relook”.
The sources said one of the issues was giving power to transfer teachers “under emergency conditions” to the Education Minister. In the draft policy, such powers were given to the Chief Minister.
Soni said: “The ongoing transfers have nothing to do with the policy. These are being made purely on the basis of need as pointed out by MLAs and local leaders.”
“At least 3,800 recently promoted master cadre teachers will also be transferred shortly. It is an ongoing process,” he said.
The department’s draft policy has allotted marks for academic qualification, term of service at a particular area, participation in extracurricular activities and class results. The policy will make the transfer process online. The department has already withdrawn the provision of transferring teachers every seven years after protests.
Davinder Singh Punia, state convener of the Adhayapak Sanjha Morcha, said: “We met the Education Minister on Tuesday. We have been assured that rationalisation and other demands will be taken care of.” The president of another teacher union, requesting anonymity, said: “Transfers are being made even as the policy is yet to be approved. It means the entire exercise in the name of a system revamp is a farce.”
