Srinagar, Dec 14: The School Education Department (SED) has decided to stall all the transfers till the culmination of all annual examinations of the current academic session.
The decision has been taken in order to do away with the “expected” disruptions in the functioning of the department till the culmination of the current academic session.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, Principal Secretary SED Alok Kumar said there will be no transfers in the department till the culmination of the annual exams of the annual 2022 academic session.
“I have decided not to order any transfers of the teachers till the session gets over. I do not want any disruptions in the session till the culmination of the exams,” Alok Kumar told Greater Kashmir.
Notably, the education department would start reshuffling teaching staff in schools during the winter vacation period and the teachers would join their new place of postings after the reopening of schools post winter vacations.
However, the government this year adopted a Uniform Academic Calendar and shifted the academic session to March wherein the annual exams of the students from primary to higher secondary classes will be held in March and April months.
“So there will be no transfers during winter months as we have to conduct exams in March and April month and I want teachers to remain posted at their place of postings so that the students do not face any difficulties,” Alok Kumar said.
He further said that there was no need to make transfers a routine exercise that disrupts academics in schools.
“So, my advice to teachers is that they should not come to the administrative department with a request for their transfer,” he said.
About the teachers posted in very hard (3rd zones) for a prolonged time, Alok Kumar said such genuine cases will be considered at the appropriate time.
“Till now we have constituted a committee who are scrutinising the transfer cases on health grounds. Rest the department will not order any transfers,” he said.
He said his purpose in the department was to roll out National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 and not to consume time on transfers.
“My focus is not transfers, but we have other crucial issues to be addressed,” he said.
He said the administrative department has already formulated a complex school system under which the issues pertaining to the availability of teaching staff will be looked into at Cluster level.
As already reported by this newspaper, under the Cluster system, the complex heads will be competent to deploy the teachers within the complex.
The complex head will make the rationalization of staff wherever necessary within the complex after seeking permission from the concerned Joint Director.
The rationalisation will be made on the basis of proper Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) formulated by the department.
The schools having enrollment less than 60 the PTR ratio shall be followed with 15:1 in Primary and Middle School while 20:1 in High and Higher Secondary Schools.
The schools with enrollment more than 60 will have at least two teachers in each Primary school, four teachers in each Middle School, 10-12 teachers in each High school and 15-20 teachers in each Higher Secondary school.
Meanwhile, about the vacant post of Chairman JKBOSE, Alok Kumar said the department has completed the process and the final panel of candidates has been submitted to the government for final approval.