Minister for Education P. Sabita Indra Reddy on Monday held another round of consultations with teachers organisations in the run up to finalising guidelines for transfer and promotion of government teachers which was likely in the first week of June.
On Saturday, she met organisations representing teachers of panchayat raj schools and, on Monday, the Government Teachers Association representing teachers of government schools in municipal areas called on her. Principal Secretary of Education Sandeep Kumar Sultania and Commissioner A. Sri Devasena were present. While the panchayat raj teachers demanded a common seniority list for promotion of both categories of teachers, the government teachers insisted that all posts above the rank of headmaster like Mandal and District Education Officer (MEOs and DEOs) and Inspectors should go to government teachers alone.
In these circumstances, the schedule for transfer and promotion of teachers was likely to be issued this month-end. Sources said transfer or promotions at all levels in single go might not be possible right away because there were pending court cases relating to promotion of MEOs and DEOs. Only after the cases were settled, the promotion to the rank of MEOs and DEOs will be taken up. While making efforts to resolve the legal disputes, the Minister was said to have favoured extending promotions to teachers where there were no hurdles. She heard the views of teachers organisations in this regard at both meetings on Saturday and Monday. The teachers MLCs Janardhan Reddy and Narsi Reddy were present.
Ms. Reddy promised the organisations to take the matter to the notice of the Chief Minister after discussing with officials.
Sources added that there were 8,500 secondary grade teachers who were to be promoted to the rank of school assistant. Another 1,970 teachers were to be promoted as gazetted headmasters. The promotion of physical education teachers was to be given according to combined seniority list as per guidelines in erstwhile districts. There were no disputes in these categories. However, the dispute was with upgraded posts which were stuck in court litigation and administration bottlenecks. There was no immediate solution for them in sight. The promotion of language pandits was also likely to be stalled in legal cases.
The seniority list for promotions will also have to take into account the allotment of teachers to new districts in pursuance of Presidential Order. The introduction of English medium of schooling from classes one to eight in the coming academic year will have to be considered in the whole process.
The transfer and promotion of teachers was actually proposed to be completed in May but the postponement of SSC exams till May 23 delayed the process. As soon as the exams were completed on June 1, the government wanted to take up the process. While the teachers organisations demanded transfers in physical mode, the government contemplated it by web options in online mode.
