Government finds 10,500 excess teachers as student strength falls

Bengaluru: The Education Department has listed 10,500 teachers of Government Schools with less students as ‘Excess,’ as the transfer process of teachers is on, in compliance with the new Teacher Transfer Policy.

The Government has fixed the ratio of one teacher for 40 students from Class 1 to 5 and for 35 students from Class 6 to 8.

The teachers are working at various schools in accordance with the ratio. With the students strength at Government Schools dwindling every year, the Government has been preparing the list of excess teachers once in every two years and transferring the teachers to required places.

Now, 10,500 excess teachers are listed and have been shown the place even before they are transferred. The vacant posts will be filled during general transfer through counselling.

As many as 1.53 lakh teachers are working at primary schools and seven percent (10,500) of the teachers are liable for transfer as per the Transfer Policy. They are also considered under ‘excess teachers’.

The Physical Education (PE) teachers are posted at Higher Primary Schools where there are more than 200 students. There is no provision to appoint PE teachers in schools with student strength below 200. The PE teachers will also be considered as ‘excess’ if the student strength falls below the said numbers, at the schools where they are posted currently.

In his letter to the Commissioner of Education Department R. Vishal, the Chairman of Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti has stated that “the decision of not posting PE teachers to schools with student strength below 200 itself is unscientific. If the student strength is 199, should they be deprived of physical education?  It is against the Government’s call which says ‘no children should be  deprived of education’. The education system is going towards peril and hence, there should be a restraint on the transfer of excess teachers.”