Teacher-transfer postponement...

Mr Stalin told the Education Times that this arbitrary decision was taken by the NPC Education Ministry without consulting other stakeholders including trade unions representing teachers. “This shows how effective they are in their planning,” he said.

The move to postpone the transfers came after around 260 teachers from other districts in the North, currently teaching in Jaffna, were given ‘Letters of Transfer’ from early this month. Some teachers have already vacated from their respective Zonal Educational offices, to assume duties next month.

“The Provincial Ministry is not considering the welfare of the teachers affected due to this. Some of the teachers have switched to new rented dwellings and secured admissions for their children to the nearest school since receiving their transfer letters. Now they don’t know what to do,” Mr Stalin said, explaining the confusion among the transferred teachers.

However, NPC Education Ministry Secretary, R. Raveenthiran rejected the CTU's allegation saying there has been no decision of postponing the transfers to- date.

“During the 2017 Provincial Development meeting with our Minister, there were requests to transfer excessive teaching staff in Educational zones and concerns were raised about postponing also, but no final decision was made,” he said.

Secretary Raveendran also said the Provincial Ministry has called for applications to give new appointments to 800 teachers in the North in February 2017.

“With this bulk of new appointments, there would be no shortage of teachers in the remote areas of Kilinochchi, Mullaithivu and Mannar where currently, teachershortage for specified subjects prevail,” he said.