BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK: A day after the Odisha government allowed MPs and MLAs to recommend transfer of 15 teachers in this academic year, school teachers have protested the move.
Teachers under the aegis of the Odisha unit of School Teachers’ Federation of India (STFI), in a release, said while the government’s intention may be to streamline the transfer process and address local concerns, they fear that the move could lead to politicisation of the transfer process.
“Political influence might override genuine needs and merit-based considerations. Such a policy has the potential to compromise transparency and fairness. Moreover, this approach fails to address the plight of thousands of teachers who have been serving far from their home districts for years,” they said.
As per the 2016 Government of Odisha guidelines, a teacher becomes eligible for transfer only after completing 15 years of service. Stating that the rule has proven to be complex, rigid and unjust for many of them, the STFI Odisha members demanded that it be revised making teachers eligible for transfer after five years of service.
They also raised concern over lack of transfer policy for teachers of aided and new aided schools in Odisha. “There are over 4,000 such schools where teachers draw salaries from the state exchequer but have no system in place for transfers. A large number of these educators are compelled to work in distant locations, away from their families, without any hope of relocation,” they said.
Other than ensuring that it remains transparent and free from political interference, the teachers urged the government to frame a structured transfer policy for those working in aided and new aided schools. “We believe a rational, uniform and humane transfer policy is essential not only for the welfare of teachers but also for the overall quality of education in our state,” they mentioned in the release.
On Tuesday, the state government officially allowed MPs and MLAs to recommend up to 15 cases of transfer of teachers including both elementary and secondary schools in their area during the current educational year. The MPs and MLAs will have to submit this recommendation to the district collectors from May 15 to June 15.
The recommendations will be disposed of by the district level transfer committee (DLTC), a letter written by Girish Chandra Singh, joint secretary in the School and Mass Education department, to director of Secondary Education and director of Elementary Education said.