The compulsory transfer rule for teachers will be replaced with a teacher-friendly transfer policy, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S. Suresh Kumar has said.
Participating in a review meeting of officials of the Education Department from eight districts of Mysuru division here on Tuesday, he likened the compulsory transfer rule to “punishment” meted out to teachers.
Compulsory transfer was on the same lines as “compulsory retirement or asked to go on leave compulsorily”, he said. Pointing out that compulsory transfer was not a rule in any government department, Mr. Suresh Kumar said introduction of such a rule in the Education Department was discriminatory against the teachers. “Why is there such a rule only for teachers’, he asked.
However, the compulsory transfer had become a law under Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Teachers) (Amendment) Act 2017, he said.
“When a teacher is compulsorily transferred and goes reluctantly, how can you expect such a teacher to teach the students with interest?”, Mr. Suresh Kumar said. He had already initiated a debate on the issue with legislators and most of them were in agreement over its abolition.
A bill will be introduced in the next Assembly session to replace the existing rules with a teacher-friendly transfer policy, he said.
Teacher friendly app
Mr. Suresh Kumar said the government will soon come out with a teacher friendly app called Shikshaka Mitra, which can be used to redress their grievances. They need not go from one office to another with their grievances any more.
Another app to be launched soon can be used to secure government clearance for adoption of schools. A lot of requests are received for adoption of schools for a variety of reasons including construction of classroom, toilets, laboratory, library or smart room. Some requests may also be received from volunteers, who wish to teach spoken English to students, he said. “Now, government permission can be taken for all these purposes through an app, which will be the first of its kind in the country”, he said adding that the app will be launched in January.
With regard to shortage of teachers, Mr. Suresh Kumar said the Finance Department had given permission for recruitment of 10,000 teachers every year and accordingly steps are being taken.
