CHENNAI: While general transfer counselling for government school teachers has remained stalled following court orders, the transfer of the wife of Law Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar from a government higher secondary school in Pallavaram to a school in Triplicane has drawn criticism from teachers, according to a Daily Thanthi report.
The teacher, who works as a science teacher at Maraimalai Adigal Government Higher Secondary School in Pallavaram, was transferred to the Government Girls' Higher Secondary School in Triplicane.
General transfer counselling for teachers working in government primary, high and higher secondary schools is usually conducted through the Education Management Information System (EMIS) portal. The transfer counselling process for the current academic year had been scheduled for June. However, the counselling was subsequently halted following court orders.
Amid the delay in the general counselling process, the transfer granted to the Law Minister's wife has reportedly raised questions among other teachers.Teachers have questioned how the transfer was granted when the general counselling process itself had been stopped. There has also been criticism that the transfer could have been influenced by the location of the Minister's official residence on Greenways Road in Chennai.
Meanwhile, teachers have raised concerns over the vacancy created at Maraimalai Adigal Government Higher Secondary School following the transfer.According to the report, no replacement teacher has been appointed to the post for the past two months. As a result, the existing teachers are reportedly handling additional responsibilities.
The school has a large number of students, and teachers have pointed out that the student-teacher ratio is already a concern. With the vacancy remaining unfilled, the workload on the teachers has increased further.
Teachers at the school have said that the absence of a replacement has affected the teaching and learning process.They pointed out that existing teachers are required to take additional classes and manage the workload created by the vacant post. This, they said, could have an impact on students, particularly as the school has a considerable number of students.
Teachers have urged the authorities to fill the vacant post at the earliest and ensure that the academic activities of the students are not affected.The issue has also led to questions among teachers over the transfer process and the need for transparency in teacher postings, particularly when general counselling remains suspended.