Pointing at the shortcomings in the Punjab Education Department’s transfer policy, including its proposal to appoint only 50-plus male teachers in girls’ only schools, the Teachers’ Union has declared to oppose it tooth and nail.
Demanding to make suitable changes for the convenience of teachers, the Government Teachers’ Union on Sunday made it clear that it would oppose it strongly in case the Department makes no changes in the policy.
“It questions the character of male teachers less than 50 years of age by deciding to not to post them, in girls’ schools. At the same time, transferring of teachers to another zone after seven years of service, which means, they will continue to be whirl-pooling throughout their service,” said Union’s district president Balwinder Singh Bhutto among others.
Commenting on the best part of the transfer policy, one of the teacher said the proposal to give preference to a bachelor teacher is good but to give this benefit to a teacher above 40 years is absolutely wrong.
He further pointed out that in this policy, there was a mention of PTR — People Teacher Ratio — but there is no mention of percentage. “At the same time, keeping a provision to transfer any teacher in any school, is nothing but a provision of transferring the teachers at the behest of references and a backdoor provision,” he said.
Union members said that the Education Department has kept one more special right with it that in case any teacher cannot be considered for transfer under this new transfer policy, the Department, accepting the genuine reason for his or her transfer, can transfer him or her against a vacant post, by relaxing of any condition(s). But now, it is to be seen as to how this will stop the corruption with the provision of special rights of transfer in the policy,” added they.
There was also mention of action under service rules on pressurising for transfer on recommendations. But there was no mention of action against transfer under political influence when most of the transfers are on political recommendations throughout year,” they said.