Ludhiana: Lecturers rue transfer orders aimed at reviving DIETs in the state
A commerce lecturer Deepak Kumar, presently posted at GSSS Bhundri, said he was on probation and did not possess a master’s degree in education but was still transferred to an institution where teachers are trained
After the education department released orders on July 5 for transferring 22 lecturers, currently serving in the senior secondary schools of the state, to the District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET), with immediate effect, they alleged that the orders were released without seeking their consent and further said that consent of another 20 teachers transferred as mentors in DIETs was taken before releasing orders for them.
Expressing her discontent with the department’s decision, Punjabi lecturer at GSSS Jagraon Bridge Bhupinder Kaur, who has been transferred to DIET Jagraon, said, “Prior to this, before every transfer, they (the department) used to ask for the consent of the teachers concerned but this time, without any prior intimation, they released our transfer orders. I am the only Punjabi lecturer in my school. What would my students do now when they have transferred us in the middle of the session?” She added that being a resident of Sangowal, it would take her more than half an hour to commute to DIET, therefore causing inconvenience.
A commerce lecturer Deepak Kumar, presently posted at GSSS Bhundri, said he was on probation and did not possess a master’s degree in education but was still transferred to an institution where teachers are trained. “I am neither experienced, nor do I have an eligible qualification, so the basis of selection of teachers for transfer to DIETs is incomprehensible. Also, the staff members of DIETs are never provided with timely salary payments,” he added.
The delegation of lecturers visited the office of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in Chandigarh on Monday where they met the director to put forward their concerns. The lecturers claimed that officials did not pay heed to any of their concerns.
State president of Government School Lecturers Union, Sanjiv Kumar, mentioned that as per Punjab Teachers Transfer Policy, teachers are to be transferred through transfer portal when they submit an online request for the same.
Vice-president of Government School Teachers’ Union Sanjiv Kumar Sharma said, “Without considering the issues that the schools and students would have to face, the department has transferred without bringing the same in the knowledge of the lecturers concerned , which is not acceptable.”
When approached SCERT director Amaninder Kaur remarked, “Extraordinary circumstances demand extraordinary measures. We are about to receive funds from the Government of India under an initiative of ‘DIETs of Excellence’ where 6 DIETs in the state would be revived. But for that, we had to fill the vacant posts in these institutions, which is why these transfers have been done with the permission of the education minister. If they (lecturers) are worried about their salaries, I assure them that they would not face any delay.”
Commenting on the transfer of those lecturers who were the instructors for a particular subject, she added, “If the department feels that this decision is affecting the academics, then we surely would reconsider the matter.”