TN govt teachers can work in schools for 8 years, say new rules

TN govt teachers can work in schools for 8 years, say new rules

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:19.12.2021

As per the new guidelines issued by the school education department for transfer counselling, a teacher can work in a school for maximum eight years. However, the guidelines said, it will be applicable prospectively which means the rule will be implemented for new teachers appointed after this notification. “The teachers who have completed eight years of service in a particular school will be transferred compulsorily. These teachers will be given priority and allowed to participate in the counselling before general counselling takes place,” guidelines issued by school education secretary Kakarla Usha on Saturday said.

“If it is applied to existing teachers, then more than 80% of teachers may have to be transferred. So, it is being introduced only for new recruits," an official said.

To address the vacancy issues in northern districts, the policy has mandated five years of service in priority blocks for new recruits. These priority blocks will be identified based on vacancies.

Existing teachers working in non-priority blocks and willing to work in priority blocks through general counselling need to serve at least three years. Teachers who serve in priority blocks will get preference over others during the general counselling. The counselling will be done during May or at the end of first or second term and no transfer counselling will be done during the academic sessions.

P Patric Raymond, general secretary of TN Graduate Teachers Federation, said the objective for introducing the maximum eight-year service rule in schools was unclear. "The department should give priority to teachers who were transferred for taking part in the strikes held during the AIADMK regime," he said.