COIMBATORE: Directorate of Elementary Education (DEE) on Friday announced that it would not include the second-grade teachers in the senior lists for five years if they were punished under Tamil Nadu Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules.
The DEE asked details of the teachers who were punished by the all-district Chief Educational Officers (CEOs) to temporarily block their names from the senior list for the next five years.
According to the sources, every year the DEE would prepare district-level seniority list for government and aided school teachers to promote them as headmaster and as well as transfer to other schools, based on their working experience. Earlier, if the teacher or headmaster were suspended under the allegations of sexual harassment and misappropriation of the school funds, only police would register the first information report (FIR) against the teachers.
However, now, the department would also register their names under the TNSC rules. Earlier, the department would add their name in the seniority list after the suspension period is completed.
A senior official said, "The new rule stated that teachers who have been facing charges will have to wait for a minimum of five years to add their name in the seniority name list."
However, there is a mixed response among the school teachers for this new announcement.
A teacher in the Annur block said, "This decision forces teachers to not protest for their rights. 1,100 teachers who were suspended for protesting in the JACTTO-GEO protest are still reeling under crisis as the school education department did not revoke their suspension orders. Now, the department will not include their name in the seniority list for the next five years."
A few teachers welcomed this move and have opined that through this move, the teachers will not involve themselves in wrongdoing like sexual harassment, misappropriation of the school funds, etc.