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60 teachers in Uttarakhand refuse promotion. Reason: it comes with a transfer order
Education department said such teachers now won’t be considered for promotion for next three years.
Sixty government school teachers in Uttarakhand have refused to accept the promotions offered to them in December 2016. Reason: they will have to move out of their respective “comfort zones” and take up mandatory transfer in the hill areas.
All such teachers, including headmasters of primary and middle schools as well as principals of government inter colleges, now won’t be considered for promotion for next three years, a senior education department official said Friday.
The fresh crisis has once again put focus on the shoddy state of affairs plaguing the education system in the mountain state where teachers have often refused to take up posting in the hill areas.
The then Congress government had in December 2016 promoted 575 teachers. The promotions, of course meant, better pay structure and additional perks. The promotions, however, came with a rider. Those accepting promotions would also have to take transfer.
As per the then government order, teachers who were posted in remote hilly areas were transferred to plain areas in state and vice versa. However, some of the teachers in plain areas refused to accept the promotions and serve in the hills.
“There are 60 such teachers who have not accepted the promotions. We cannot force them to accept it. We can only exclude them from the promotion system for next three years,” said RK Kunwar, director, school education department.
Due to such teachers refusing the promotion, those who were to get postings in their place can’t do so. An official in the know of things said that the teachers have the right to deny ad hoc promotions. “However, they cannot do so, if the promotion comes via Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) programme,” he said, putting the blame on the education department for taking up the promotions through DACP.
After a consultation with chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, school education minister Arvind Pandey had given such teachers a week’s time (till Saturday) to join their new posting.
The government had during the winter session at Gairsain in December last year passed Uttarakhand Annual Transfer Act, which was also approved by the Governor. Now, rules will be framed as per the need of the respective departments. However, the act mandates that employees or teachers who have served in the accessible areas for more than four years will have to serve in the remote areas too.
