Karnataka: Mid-year teacher transfers likely to affect academics

MANGALURU: The annual teacher transfer process, which usually starts in February, and ends in May every year, has unusually started in the middle of the academic year this time. The process will hamper academic activity, said parents and senior officials from the department of public instruction.
The process of transfer started a few days ago in Dakshina Kannada, and other districts of the state. However, officials and parents have expressed concern, that this process will harm academics, because teachers who want to transfer, are likely to focus on the process, rather than teaching.
“It was a smooth transition when the transfer was happening at the end of the academic year. The process will start somewhere around February or March. After counselling, the transferred teachers will join their new school at the beginning of the new academic year. There was no inconvenience to students, but this year the transfer process is happening for the second time, and that too in the middle of the academic year. This will put students at the receiving end. The students get used to teachers, and a sudden change will impact their learning. Meanwhile, those teachers who are busy with the transfer process, will not be able to concentrate on teaching. If there is no replacement for the transferred teacher, the pressure will be on other teachers to complete the syllabus. It is unscientific,” complained a senior official from the department of public instruction. Every year, about 10% of teachers are transferred to various schools.
A block education officer said that the current transfer is primarily for those teachers, who have been staying away from their spouses for a very long time, and working in other districts.
“The transfer will help them to join their families. Apart from that, there will also be a general transfer. Recently, The Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Teachers) (Amendment) Bill, 2022, has made changes in the transfer process,” he said.
Sudhakar K, DDPI, Dakshina Kannada, said that the transfer process has just started. “There are various stages. There is no clarity on whether transfers will happen in the middle of the year, or at the end of the academic year. The government has not given clarity on it,” he said.