Transfer of headmasters: Teachers threaten province-wide protests

61 headmasters and principals have been transferred to far-flung areas of the province

LAHORE: Teachers’ unions have threatened to stage province-wide protests against the Punjab School Education Department’s (SED) decision to transfer of dozens of headmasters and principals on administrative grounds.

A SED notification issued on Monday announced the transfer of 61 headmasters and principals along with their school names where they have been transferred with immediate effect. The SED named 33 head teachers and principals of BPS-18 and 28 in BPS-19 for transfer to other districts.

The notification said the transfers were made on grounds of poor performance during three academic sessions determined by calculating the grade point average based upon enrolment in Class IX, subsequent appearance in the Matriculation examinations, passing out percentage, failure and quality of education in terms of grades achieved by the students.

Reacting to the decision, several schoolteachers unions in the province condemned the move and threatened to protest against the SED.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Punjab Teachers’ Union (PTU) General Secretary Rana Liaquat Ali said the SED had transferred teachers to far-flung areas, terming it an ‘anti-teacher’ move.

Transfers were made on the ground of teachers’ poor performance, he said, adding the union would not tolerate such an action as it was taken without considering the situation, under which they have been working.

The SED had issued targets without considering the quality of education in the province, he added.

The government has been continuously blaming teachers for their own shortcomings, he said.

He added that the PTU will stage a protest in front of the Punjab Assembly next month while protests will also be organised in every district of the province. The schedule of the protests would be finalised in PTU’s meeting of the annual central executive committee being held on October 23.

The United Teachers’ Council (UTC), another teachers’ collective, also announced it would protest against the move by the SED, saying the decision was unjustified as teachers being transferred had been performing well.

The UTC also announced that an emergency meeting of its members had been called to chalk out a plan for a protest.

Earlier this year, the SED had sought action against the heads of public schools with poor performance in the Matriculation examinations under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act 2006.

According to a letter issued to EDOs on August 17, the SED Public Instructions director stated the education department wanted the heads of the institutions with good performance be awarded appreciation letters while those with poor performance should be dealt under the PEEDA Act 2006.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 18^th, 2016.