I am not a think tank but simply a person working as a Lecturer in Environmental Science at Government Higher Secondary School Khellani, Doda, Jammu & Kashmir. Through your esteemed daily, I would like to draw the kind attention of the government towards an issue that directly concerns the future of thousands of students across Jammu & Kashmir—the transfer of government lecturers in the middle of an ongoing academic session.
Transfer of a government employee is part of service. From bureaucrats to fourth-class employees, everyone occasionally tastes this cup of tea. Transfers may be necessary for administrative reasons, rationalisation of staff and ensuring that schools in interior and remote areas receive adequate teaching faculty. In fact, the ongoing exercise of posting lecturers to schools in underserved areas can be seen as a positive initiative.
My concern, however, is not against transfers as such. It is about when these transfers are being carried out.
The rationalisation and transfer process, which was expected to be completed within a defined timeframe, is continuing during the middle of the academic session. This raises a fundamental question: why should lecturers teaching board classes be transferred when students have only a few months left before their crucial examinations?
For a student of Class XII, continuity matters enormously. A teacher is not merely someone who delivers lessons from a textbook. Over the course of an academic year, a teacher understands the strengths and weaknesses of individual students, their learning gaps, their pace of understanding and the areas where they require additional support. When that teacher is suddenly replaced, students have to adjust to a new teaching style, a different pace and a different approach just when their preparation is entering its most critical phase.
The immediate impact is likely to be greatest on students preparing for board examinations and subsequently for entrance examinations. These students already face considerable academic and psychological pressure. An avoidable change in teaching arrangements can add another burden to their shoulders.
The question becomes even more important in the case of government schools. Every year, there is concern about the performance of government schools in board examinations. If we genuinely want students in these schools to perform better, then we must ensure that the academic environment gives them stability rather than additional disruption.
Not every student can afford expensive private-school fees or private tuition to compensate for disruptions in classroom teaching. For many families, the government school is the only realistic avenue for quality education. Therefore, any administrative decision affecting classroom continuity must be examined from the perspective of the students, particularly those from economically weaker backgrounds and remote areas.
There are also broader concerns surrounding the transfer system. The management of educator transfers in Jammu & Kashmir has historically remained a sensitive issue. Despite successive policies and attempts to introduce point-based and automated systems, questions continue to be raised about transparency, fairness and the implementation of special provisions.
A healthy transfer policy must take into account the circumstances of vulnerable categories, including teachers nearing retirement, female teachers facing particular family circumstances and employees serving in difficult or remote locations. When such considerations are overlooked, teachers are compelled to spend considerable time pursuing applications, representations and appeals rather than concentrating on their responsibilities in the classroom.
At the same time, large-scale transfers can create an administrative burden for the department itself. Employees transferred far from their preferred locations may subsequently submit representations and requests seeking adjustments or return postings. If thousands of employees become engaged in such processes, the department’s workload increases unnecessarily.
Transfers should therefore be based on genuine administrative requirements, rationalisation needs and clearly defined policy criteria rather than becoming a continuous process that creates uncertainty for employees and institutions.
There is also a need to examine the question of tenure in difficult or unpopular postings. Where certain locations consistently face difficulties in attracting staff, the government could consider a defined tenure—perhaps two years—for employees posted to such areas, including after promotion. Such an approach could distribute the responsibility more fairly while ensuring that remote and underserved schools are not left without teachers.
The government has taken steps towards developing and implementing a structured transfer policy. The challenge now is to ensure that the policy translates into stability, transparency and fairness on the ground. A good policy is not merely one that moves employees efficiently; it must also protect the larger public interest.
And in the case of education, the larger public interest is the student.
I am myself a Lecturer and, like many others, I too face the consequences of transfers and administrative decisions. I am not arguing that lecturers should never be transferred. Transfers are a normal part of government service. My humble submission is that such transfers should preferably take place before the beginning of an academic session or after the completion of board examinations, except in cases of genuine and unavoidable administrative necessity.
If a Class XII Lecturer has to be transferred, doing so in the middle of the academic session can potentially affect the preparation and performance of students. The students have little say in such decisions, yet they ultimately bear the consequences.
Today, students are asking questions: Why is a transfer being made in the middle of the academic session? Why should a board-class student have to adjust to a new Lecturer at this stage? Is there no alternative? Can the transfer not wait until the examinations are over? Will the decision be fair to the future of these students?
These are legitimate questions.
I therefore appeal to the Commissioner/Secretary, School Education Department, Jammu & Kashmir, to consider delaying the transfer of lecturers wherever their movement would disrupt board-class teaching during the ongoing academic session. The same rationalisation and transfer exercise can be implemented after the board examinations, when the academic interests of students will be better protected.
Administrative efficiency is important. Rationalisation is important. A transparent transfer system is important. But the education and future of students must remain the first consideration.
It is not too late to reconsider decisions that may disrupt board-class students. A little flexibility today could prevent considerable academic disruption tomorrow.
The voices of students are often the quietest in administrative decision-making. Their interests, however, should be the loudest consideration.
THE AUTHOR IS A REGULAR COLUMNIST AND FREELANCE WRITER
