Ex-Principal Advisor Slams Delhi Education Dept Over ‘Compulsory’ Transfer Of Govt School Teachers

New Delhi: The former principal advisor to the education director, Shailendra Sharma, on Sunday slammed the Delhi government's Education Department for its recent order directing "compulsory" and "random" transfers of long-serving teachers in government schools.

A recent order by the Delhi Directorate of Education invited online applications for transfer from all categories of teachers latest by June 26 to give their choices in order of their preferences for the transfer to take place.

"All teachers who have completed 10 years continuously in the same school shall compulsorily apply for online transfer on the basis of mutual or general opting for maximum number of schools," the order dated June 11 said.

“Such teachers who do not apply online, the headquarters on its own will transfer them to any school as per the official requirement," it said.

Sharma criticised the order stating that it will hamper the "organic relationship of teachers with students" and goes against the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

"They have issued a new order and warned all those teachers, who have been in the same school for more than ten years, to apply for transfer to some other school themselves, otherwise the administration will post them in any school of its own will,” he said.

“This type of random transfer may be necessary in the case of government clerks, but it is completely unnecessary in the teaching profession,” Sharma said.

"NEP 2020 says, the harmful practice of excessive transfers will be prohibited to ensure that the relationship between the teacher and the community is built and remains connected to the community so that the students can get role models and an educational environment," he wrote in a post on X.

Sharma alleged that the order was passed without consultation from the Delhi government or the Education Minister Atishi.

He also added that it would adversely impact about 6,000 long serving teachers in the Delhi government schools.

In April this year, Sharma was removed from the post of principal advisor on the directions of the Vigilance Department, terming his appointment as "illegal" and made without the competent authority's approval. He was serving the post on an honorary basis.