CHENNAI: The School Education Department has released detailed guidelines and a schedule for the academic year 2026–27 general teacher transfer counselling, covering teachers working under both the Directorate of School Education (DSE) and the Directorate of Elementary Education (DEE).

The counselling process will be conducted entirely through the Educational Management Information System (EMIS) platform, ensuring transparency and uniformity in teacher transfers across the state.

Teachers seeking transfers must submit their applications online through their individual EMIS login accounts within the prescribed period. According to the circular, transfer requests will be processed based on a priority system. Special consideration will be given to categories such as disabled teachers, spouses employed in government service, teachers nearing retirement, widows, and those serving in difficult or remote locations. Service seniority and other government-approved criteria will also be taken into account, clarified the department.

The counselling is scheduled from late June through July. Subject-wise and category-wise, transfer counselling sessions will be conducted for postgraduate teachers, graduate teachers, physical education teachers, and other eligible categories. Teachers under the DEE will participate in a separate counselling schedule covering elementary and middle school teachers. Vacancy publication, counselling sessions, and transfer orders will be completed by July.

A department official said, “The online counselling system is intended to make the transfer process more transparent, reduce administrative delays, and ensure that vacancies are filled efficiently across schools in TN.”

The counselling process will begin with online application submission and verification, followed by the publication of seniority lists and vacancy lists. Teachers will be given an opportunity to submit claims and objections before final seniority lists are released.