HC moved for transparency in transfer of teachers

Charging that there was no transparency in the existing general counselling system for transfer of teachers, a petition was today filed in the Madras High Court Bench here seeking a direction to publish the exact number of vacancies for BT Assistants in official websites of districts.
Justice K Ravichandrababu ordered notice to the authorities returnable by two weeks.
Petitioner R.Linet Amala Santhakumari from Tuticorin district, holding M.Phil and B.T.Degrees, even though she was recruited as an elementary school teacher, also sought a CBI inquiry to unearth alleged bribery involved in transfer of government teachers.
She claimed there was no transparencey in the transfer of qualified teachers from Elementary Education department to high school and higher secondary school.

Political pressure and influence determined the transfers. "Most of the transfers were arbitrary or unreasonable and for pecuniary benefits. Hence, if a teacher sought a transfer on genuine ground, getting it would be a day dream," she said.
Though she applied for transfer from elementary school to high school and she was called for counselling, the vacancies had been filled even before counselling, making the exercise infructuous, she said.

If the number of vacancies were published by the Chief Education officer in the websites, posting will not take place behind the back in a secretive manner, she said.
She prayed for publication of approximate vacancies to be filled for 2015-16, due to retirement, promotion, expansion and reorganisation, so that those who genuinely needed transfers could be posted.

In this regard, the high court could also issue guidelines for conducting counselling.
She said that on the pretext of administrative exigencies, the officials were issuing transfer orders without reasons. As the court was not interfering in such matters, politicians were abusing their power to transfer teachers.