Transfer of 162 govt teachers to Schools of Eminence in Punjab cancelled

Jalandhar, October 23

Ten days after the Director of School Education (Secondary) ordered the transfer of 162 teachers from government schools to the Schools of Eminence (SOEs) across the state, the orders were cancelled by the Education Department today.

State Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains issued a letter today, stating that the orders of the transfer of 162 teachers, lecturers and computer teachers were being cancelled with immediate effect, keeping in view ‘the studies of students during the current educational session’.

The Tribune had on October 20, highlighted the outrage sparked due to these transfer orders among the teachers of the state.

The orders had come under huge condemnation from various teacher unions.

The cancellation of orders came as relief for many teachers as they were of the opinion that being shifted to SoEs would impact education at the native institutes. Several schools had claimed that their staff was already short.

The Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha welcomed the move today, claiming that the action by teachers against the orders caused the department to reconsider the transfers. In all, 162 teachers had been transferred to SoEs across the state.

The cancellation of the order comes amid mounting pressure on the government in the wake of the suicide by jobless teacher Balwinder Kaur of the 1158 Assistant Professors and Librarians Front.