Shifting of 162 Jalandhar teachers to Schools of Eminence sparks outrage

Tribune News Service

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, October 20

The transfer of 162 teachers from government schools of the district to Schools of Eminence (SoEs) across the state has sparked outrage as they believe some of them have been transferred at the cost of education at other government schools.

The districts where most of the teachers have been transferred include Ludhiana (32), Patiala (20) and Jalandhar (15). The Education Department, however, says teachers from only those schools which had surplus educators are being shifted.

Due process followed for rationalisation

Teachers have been shifted only from those schools where they were in surplus and have been readjusted. We have carried out the rationalisation after following due process. —Kamal Kishor Yadav, School education secretary

Sources told The Tribune that all teachers being transferred were not from schools that had enough educators.

The transfers have been condemned by teacher unions. The Government Teachers’ Union has said government is making ‘forcible’ transfers of teachers to SoEs. It terms the transfers an “ujara” (ruining) of other schools for the sake of SoEs.

Secretary, School Education, Punjab, Kamal Kishor Yadav said: “The teachers have only been taken from schools where they were already surplus and have been readjusted. We have carried out rationalisation after due process. As far as shifting students from adjoining government schools is concerned, only meritorious students will be shifted, that too after a test.”

Yadav added that 1 lakh students had applied for selection at the Schools of Eminence from across state, of which 8,500 have been selected.

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