Patna: Hours after the Patna high court’s noticed alleged anomalies persisting in the state govt’s new transfer policy for the schoolteachers, the state education department on Tuesday suspended its newly introduced transfer policy. However, the govt maintained that the decision was unrelated to the court’s observations.
The new transfer policy gave the choice to govt teachers to seek transfers or postings in their home districts or at their places of choice.
The policy will be reintroduced after addressing the complaints of a few teachers and their organisations and when all five attempts of competency test of teachers are exhausted, said the govt.
While addressing a press conference, education minister Sunil Kumar said here on Tuesday that the state govt was putting the implementation of policy on hold for now, and it would be brought back with modifications, if needed, once all the five attempts for competency tests of teachers were done with.
“The state govt is of the view that it will not be fair with those teachers who qualify the competency test after the transfer policy comes into action—implying that merit and skill assessments will play a role in future transfers. So, we have decided to suspend the policy till all the five attempts for competency tests of teachers are not exhausted,” said the minister. He said the govt took the decision in the interests of the teachers to ensure that nobody missed any opportunity and everybody got an equal chance.
Kumar said the govt would address the concerns of some teachers and their organisations regarding the new transfer policy. “We have received some complaints and reservations of teachers with regard to the new transfer policy. We are ready to hear them and introduce changes, if required, and include even better provisions that would be acceptable to all,” said the minister.
He, however, said the govt’s decision had nothing to do with the Patna high court order, which was passed on Tuesday. “We had, in fact, decided to suspend the transfer policy much earlier before the Patna high court’s order in the matter. According to information received, the court has only given some relief to the petitioners and has not stopped the execution of the transfer policy,” added Kumar.
Notably, the process of filing online applications for choice transfer or postings by the teachers began on November 7 and they were to be posted in schools of their respective chosen places by January.