Transfers alone won’t help staff crunch, say educators
With the deadline to apply for transfers around the corner, educators in the district said that transfers alone would not solve the issue of staff crunch as there are hardly any teachers who apply for a shift in their station from urban to rural due to discontinuation of rural allowance.
With the deadline to apply for transfers around the corner, educators in the district said that transfers alone would not solve the issue of staff crunch as there are hardly any teachers who apply for a shift in their station from urban to rural due to discontinuation of rural allowance.
The date to apply for transfers for the government school teachers, was extended till August 10 as per the letter issued by the Directorate of School Education (Secondary) on August 7, which stated that due to a glitch in the e-Punjab portal the process had slowed down, and upon receiving complaints from the teachers, the date has been extended.
A teacher at the Government Senior Secondary School, Kadiana, where the posts of science lecturers have been lying vacant for the past four years said, “In the government schools situated in rural areas, either new joinees or those living nearby and are willing are deputed to serve in these schools, otherwise no other teacher applies for a rural station, one of the major reason being the discontinuation of rural allowance which the teachers serving in the rural areas used to receive.”
State finance secretary and district president lecturer cadre union Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon stating the reasons behind staff crunch in rural areas, said, “Majority of the teaching staff is settled in the urban areas, and city allowance is being provided whereas rural allowance has been discontinued. Moreover, a number of posts are lying vacant in the rural areas, so why would teachers seek transfers in the areas where they would be overburdened?”
Democratic teachers front (DTF) district president Daljit Singh informed that the rural allowance was discontinued after the implementation of 6th pay commission. Transfers would aggravate single teacher schools as some teachers deputed in rural areas would seek transfer to urban areas, reducing the staff further. We met education minister Harjot Singh Bains on Friday where the same matter was taken up and on August 22, we have a meeting scheduled with the state finance minister where the issue of allowance will be discussed,” he mentioned.
When approached, district education officer (secondary) Dimple Madaan remarked, “The city allowance has also been reduced to 16% and rural house rent allowance at present is 8%. City grading was conducted as per the population, post which these deductions were decided but the government might reintroduce the same in the near future.”