more-in Several heads of government higher secondary schools have voiced concern that they will not be able to do justice to the stipulated duration of teaching-learning during this academic year due to belated counselling for transfer of teachers. Unlike last year, when the counselling process was completed during the third week of May — ahead of reopening of schools — only one round of transfer counselling has been completed so far. The delay in valuation process caused by common evaluation of Plus One papers, in addition to Class10 and Plus Two papers, has been cited as the reason for the delay in transfer counselling. According to an official, such a delay will not recur since there will be only one exam paper for languages henceforth. Teachers, however, fear they will face turbulent times during the course of the academic year due to compulsions in completing the portions under the new syllabus within the specified time. A senior headmaster of a government higher secondary school says students of government schools are at a clear disadvantage since aided and private schools have moved ahead in completing portions under the new syllabi. In government higher secondary schools, things have not crystallised as yet. For instance, the belated announcement on upgrade of 100 high schools into higher secondary schools is bound to disrupt the equilibrium since teachers have to be posted fresh and students will also have to be mobilised from the nearby government higher secondary schools. The headmasters are helpless since whenever vacancies that arise due to transfer counselling are not filled, handling students become difficult. Government schools, as a rule, cannot collect in excess of ?50 from students towards PTA fund that is utilised for posting teachers on a temporary basis. “It is difficult to pay even ?5,000 per month to a teacher out of PTA fund,” another headmaster said. The predicament of government high schools is also similar. Vacancies are bound to arise in the place of BT grade teachers awaiting transfer as headmasters. Likewise, high school headmasters in the seniority list are in wait for promotion as DEO. About 50% of the vacancies in high schools have to be filled through promotion of secondary teachers in government middle schools and the rest of the vacancies are filled through the Teacher Recruitment Board. By the time the vacancies are filled, the academic year will draw to a close, the school heads rue. According to them, such administrative delays can be easily rectified by the department through preparation of computerised data of transfer-seeking teachers in the initial months of the calendar year and carrying out the process of transfers and promotions online before the end of summer vacation.

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