CAP demands withdrawal of “politically motivated” mass transfer of teachers

GANGTOK,: Citizen Action Party (CAP) Sikkim on Thursday submitted a memorandum to ACS (Education) R Telang at his office here urging the department to withdraw its recent mass transfer orders of government primary teachers.

CAP Sikkim chief coordinator Ganesh K. Rai led a party delegation to the Education Secretariat to submit the representation. The opposition party further urged the government to prioritize the formulation of a comprehensive teacher transfer policy to ensure the smooth functioning of the education system and the welfare of both the teachers and students.

On September 9, the Education department had issued transfer orders of 59 primary teachers - a decision which the CAP Sikkim said jeopardizes the education of the government school students as it has been made in the middle of the ongoing academic session.

“We met the Education ACS and took up the issue. We submitted that children will suffer greatly by the transfer of their teachers in the middle of the academic session. We demanded that the transfer orders are cancelled. Children of poor families and villagers study in government schools and the government is playing with their future by mass transferring their teachers,” said the CAP Sikkim chief coordinator to the media after meeting the ACS (Education).

To a question, Rai said: “The department is saying that the teachers were transferred to meet the shortage but here (in the recent transfer) those who were about to retire were transferred…both husband and wife were transferred. This (transfer) is politically motivated. It has not been prepared by the department but by the concerned MLA and party workers. Education would be hampered with such actions. Education should be kept away from politics.”