Opinion | Transfers’ – An Indispensable Part of Service!

The saying goes like this “Transfer is the part and parcel of Service. ” The Department of Education has recently published one of its long lists of transfers of both teachers and masters. We have been witnessing farwell as well as bem-Vindo functions being organised in various government schools via, social media, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram etc. Transfer is viewed as a change in assignment in which the employee moves from one job to another in the same level of hierarchy requiring similar skills involving approximately the same level of responsibility, same  status and same level of pay.

There is no denying the fact that transfer brings change and it is the right of an employee to work in different schools during his or her service time. It helps to improve the working experience of an employee as they get to work with different people and different environments. Transfers makeS the skill better and prepares the employee for future promotion. Transfers also provide a new sense of motivation and satisfaction as transfer is often referred to as a growth oriented opportunity for the employees.
Stating the conditions to apply for transfers, the department had said that employees having a mature stay of three years and above in Zone -I, II,and III as per transfer policy 2023 shall have to compulsory apply online in the prescribed application format.
The department had informed that the preferences for posting shall be that an employee who is working in Zone -I shall opt for Zone II, III, IV and V. An employee who is working in Zone-II shall opt for Zone I, III, IV and V. An employee who is working in Zone III, shall opt for Zone, I, II, IV and V. An employee who is working in Zone -IV, shall opt for Zone I, II, III and V. An employee who is working in Zone V, shall opt for Zone I, II, III and IV.
Notably the transfers of teachers and masters were put on hold during the last academic session but it was later decided to cancel all the transfers due to hampering the academic session. This year Directorate of School Education has taken bold steps to issue a long list of transfers both teachers,masters and lecturers according to pupil teacher ratio (PTR).There were some teachers and masters who spent decades in schools who have been transferred to distant places in the recently published transfer under online portal. Some showed resentment but mostly the teachers and masters community welcomed the initiative taken by the School Education Department.
Commenting on the transfer, one can’t deny that transfer of an employee is the matter of need by an employer, but there are instances when an employee needs to be transferred for some personal compulsive reasons like that of, on health grounds or on family grounds “often a requirement of a female employees post marriage.”In fact most of the employees posting of their favourite choice get motivated by their transfers, but the reality is that the provision of transfers is beneficial for both teachers and students.
Transfer of teachers as well as masters is a necessary tool to overcome the shortcomings in the school education department. With the transfer of teachers as well as masters students get a good opportunity to learn new things from new teachers.Like wise in some schools there is excess staff and some remains under staff, in this way the required teacher student ratio is not uniform at all. The worst sufferers in the transfer list are women folk who have to cross dozens of kilometers to reach their school.
It has been also mentioned in the ATD that eligible employees not applying for the transfer despite mature stay shall be transferred by the department anywhere as per the requirement of the department. This was the crucial provision of Online transfer and that is why all the eligible employees applied for the transfer. This year’s online transfer was followed by some interesting reels watched on the social network where some teachers/masters were presenting and receiving bookies, flower garlands, bouquets etc to either farewell or welcome the newcomers.
The transfers are having profound importance so far from the education point of view. It is said that change is the variety of life. Facing a new school, new atmosphere, new students, new topography, new administration etc can definitely provide a series of experiences to an employee. Hope such practice may continue in future as people expect much more from the School Education Department.

– The writer is a teacher by profession and teaches at BHS Diver Lolab. He can be reached at farhaanqysar@gmail.com