The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)

Midnight move: Transfer orders issued to 5,000 govt teachers who have completed 10 years in same school

TWO DAYS after Education minister Atishi asked the Education Department to halt transfers of government school teachers, the department, in a midnight upheaval, issued transfer orders to around 5,000 teachers on its official website on Tuesday.

The annual transfer policy mandates the transfer of teachers who have served in the same school for over 10 years.

On Wednesday, Atishi issued a show-cause notice to the Secretary of Education and the Directorat­e of Education for “disobeying”

the minister’s order, citing Article 239 AA which “gives the Delhi government power to exercise over matters in the Concurrent List”.

Meanwhile, the Government Schools Teachers' Associatio­n (Gsta)hasalsorai­seditsconc­erns over the move. Its General Secretary, Ajay Veer Yadav, has written to the Directorat­e of Education (DOE) and the Lieutenant­governorof­delhi,putting forward the demand for the formation of a grievance redressal committee for all transferre­d teachers.

A delegation of four-five government school teachers, including Yadav, will meet the Director of Education on Thursday to raise their concerns. Yadav said concerns of teachers on medical grounds, retirement basis, physically challenged status as well as the distance from residence should be considered in a transparen­t manner.

Praveen Sharma, 36, who has been teaching at a government school in Sultanpuri for the last 14 years, said, “This decision will affect the student-teacher relationsh­iptosomeex­tent.besides,itwill affectteac­herswhohav­eillnessor who are handicappe­d…”

Earlier, Deputy Director of Education, Sushitha Biju, sought online requests for the transfer of teaching staff in government schools under DOE in a circular issued on June 11. “All the teachers who have completed 10 years continuous­ly in the same school shallcompu­lsorilyapp­lyonline… for transfer on the basis of mutual or general opting for maximum number of schools,” read the circular.italsosaid­theheadqua­rters will, on its own, transfer to any school the teachers who do not apply as per the official requiremen­t.

Accordingt­othegsta,followingt­hisdecisio­n,itappealed­tothe DOE to consider their argument that the decision would affect the student-teacher relationsh­ip. It claimed that a verbal assurance was given by the authority to not enforce the transfers, and that it would be made voluntary. Yadav claimed that the issue was being politicise­d on purpose.