PANAJI
While students are protesting teacher transfers citing disruption to their studies and teachers are raising concerns over dual duties, the Education Department has accepted the transfer requests of 78 primary school teachers -- more than 81 per cent of the 96 teachers transferred -- just ahead of the first-term examinations, which commenced on October 5.
A total of 96 primary teachers have been transferred by the department. Of these, 78 sought transfers from their existing places of posting, while the remaining 18 were shifted on administrative grounds. The transfer order issued on September 29 specifically states that the postings of the 78 teachers were made “on request”.
The large-scale movement of teachers comes at a time when transfers of teaching staff have emerged as a concern in several schools, with students also protesting against the shifting of teachers during the academic year.
“Teachers had sought transfers and their requests were pending for quite some time. Hence, we have accepted their requests and granted them transfers. The new postings are not too far from their existing places of posting,” a senior Education department official said.
As part of the transfer orders, the teachers have been directed to reside within a radius of 0.3 km from their respective schools and inform their new residential addresses to the Deputy Directors of the concerned Zonal Education Offices.
The transfers have also come amid concerns among recently promoted teachers over being made to shoulder dual responsibilities. Nearly 56 of the 77 teachers promoted as Assistant District Educational Inspectors/Teacher Grade-I have been asked to continue discharging their earlier teaching duties while simultaneously taking up responsibilities in their new cadre.
However, the transfer of 78 teachers on their own request immediately before the first-term examinations raises questions over the timing of the exercise and its impact on continuity in schools during the examination period, particularly when students and teachers have already raised concerns over staff movements.
The Education department, however, maintained that the transfers would not affect the academic schedule.
“The first term has already ended. Some teachers have taken up their new postings while the examinations are underway, while others will join their new postings when the second term begins,” the official said.
