In order to bring greater transparency in the matter of transfers of the teaching staff in government schools, the Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a transfer policy, which will be implemented from the ensuing academic session.The Transfer Policy 2018, which the cabinet, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has approved, has been drafted after detailed deliberations with various stakeholders, including the teachers, school heads, teacher unions and civil societies. The transfer policies of other states namely Haryana and Karnataka have also been minutely examined, according to an official spokesperson.Under the new policy, all schools would be divided into five zones depending upon the distance from the District Headquarters and other parameters. General transfers would be made only once a year, and the notification for the possible vacancies would be made available on the department’s website by January 15th every year. Eligible teachers would be required to submit their options of schools online from 15th January to 15th February every year. Transfer orders will be issued in the last week of March, and joining of teachers will be in the first week of April.As per the policy, every teacher will be compulsorily transferred after completing seven years, and no teacher would be able to make a request for transfer before three years.
Further, an objective criterion, by assigning marks to the teachers seeking transfer, has been provided in the policy. Fifty marks have been given for duration of service spent in various zones, with maximum weightage to teachers serving in Zone 5 i.e. the least developed areas, with 25 marks assigned to length of service. Marks have also been awarded to females (5), widow/divorced/unmarried females (10), widower (5), differently abled persons (10) and persons having differently and mentally challenged children (10), with 25 marks kept for well performing teachers and 15 marks for teachers who make their children study in Government schools.The Cabinet also agreed to the suggestions of its sub-committee that the transfer policy should be implemented through a computer software and in a transparent manner. It also accepted the suggestion of the sub-committee, comprising Local Government Minister, Rural Development & Panchayats Minister, Finance Minister and Education Minister, that the condition of being more than 50 years of age for male teachers to get posted in Girls schools be dispensed with, and that teachers attaining the age of 56 years as on March 31 of a year may not be posted out. However, the Department may put certain conditions that such teachers will give an undertaking that they will not seek extension beyond 58 years of age.The Cabinet Sub Committee also suggested that unmarried girls may be given one-time option, at the time of marriage, to seek transfer at the time of annual transfers irrespective of requirement of minimum tenure of service in a school. Similarly, in case of legal separation, such a relaxation may be given to married females also.