Govt to introduce transparent transfer policy for teachers

Sanjeev Singh bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 17

Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla has met his first challenge in dealing with the file of the ‘Online Teacher Transfer Policy’, which was moved to his desk by the Secretary, School Education, last week.

The policy was planned to be implemented from the current academic session. Promising transparency in the education sector, it had been put on the back-burner due to the Lok Sabha polls and lack of political will.

The policy, affecting more than one lakh teachers, will do away with the existing personal interference of ministers and officials in making transfers of their choice. The implementation, however, will not be easy.

A teachers’ union chief said, “Leaders like to make tall announcements of bringing transparency. Our experience shows that teacher transfer is a power that politicians like to keep in their hands to oblige their supporters.”

Talking to The Tribune, Singla said, “I have received the file. However, I am yet to go through the details. I can only promise that our government will bring in a transparent transfer policy to end favouritism.”

The policy will be applicable to all teaching cadre posts. It has deleted the condition that a teacher will be transferred after seven years. The condition of having three-year minimum stay at one particular station before requesting a transfer has been reduced to just one year. Newly appointed teachers will have to stay at their place of posting for at least three years. An exception has been made in the case of newlyed girls.

A provision for special concession in transfers has been made for patients of cancer, those with more than 60% disability, Hepatitis B and C, divorced/persons having differently abled or mentally challenged children besides certain other categories.

At the same time, the policy underlines that in case of a complaint or on account of poor performance, teachers can be transferred any time.