New transfer policy causes teachers’ surplus in Pindi

Local teachers fear being pushed back in seniority, promotions

RAWALPINDI: While many regions in rural and south Punjab are short of teachers, the recent relaxation in transfer policy has caused a surplus of teachers in government schools of Rawalpindi.

Recently, at least 5,000 educators, mostly women, got themselves transferred to Rawalpindi, said officials adding that there were more teachers than required in school. According to official numbers, there were more than 1,000 surplus teachers in Rawalpindi.

The new transfer policy was creating difficulties for local teachers who fear being pushed behind on seniority and time scale promotions. It has been learnt that due to the new policy, most of the schools in the district have surplus teachers.

“We have no reservations over the inter-district transfers, however, it should not infringe the rights of local teachers,” a senior leader of government teachers said.

According to officials, the Punjab government, in a bid to facilitate maximum number of teachers, revised the minimum tenure required for transfer from three years to one year.

Cutting transfer eligibility from three years at a particular school to one year opened flood gates of applications, particularly of newlyweds.

A huge number of female teachers from the federal capital who moved to the garrison town after marriage got themselves transferred to schools in Rawalpindi.

However, this has created a problem for local teachers who are bearing the brunt of the policy. It has emerged that more than 5,000 teachers have got themselves recently transferred to schools in the district under the new transfer policy, leaving the schools with more teachers than required.

Meanwhile, under rationalisation policy, the transfer cases of divorced, widowed, disabled teachers and mutual transfers would begin from November 11, while the move will only result in more surplus teachers.

According to a rough estimate, more than 2,500 teachers, both male and female, are seeking transfers in schools in Rawalpindi district from almost 35 remaining districts across the province, officials said. 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2019.