Chennai, August 30: Teachers in Chennai have voiced their concerns following the transfer of the wife of Law Minister C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar from a government secondary school in Pallavaram to an institution in Triplicane. This transfer has sparked criticism, especially as the general transfer counseling process has been halted due to court orders.
Before her transfer to the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Triplicane, she served as a science teacher at the Maramalai Adigal Government Higher Secondary School in Pallavaram.
Typically, teacher transfers in government primary, high, and higher secondary schools occur through the Education Management Information System (EMIS) portal during general counseling. This year’s counseling was scheduled for June but was suspended following court intervention.
In this context, teachers have raised questions about how an individual transfer was approved while the counseling process was on hold. They allege that the teacher may have received preferential treatment due to her connection to the law minister. Furthermore, they linked her transfer to the proximity of the Triplicane school to the minister’s official residence on Greenways Road. However, there has been no confirmation that this location influenced the decision.
The transfer has raised concerns at the Pallavaram school, where the science teacher position has reportedly been vacant for nearly two months. No replacement teacher has been appointed, leading to increased workloads for the remaining teachers, who are now required to take extra classes.
Teachers have pointed out that the student population at the school is already high, raising concerns about the student-teacher ratio. They warned that the ongoing vacancy could negatively impact the quality of teaching and student learning, especially if the position remains unfilled for an extended period.
Currently, teachers are juggling their existing academic and administrative responsibilities along with extra classes. They have appealed to the School Education Department to appoint another teacher without delay to prevent any adverse effects on student education.
Additionally, they are demanding greater transparency in the transfer and posting process, particularly at a time when hundreds of teachers are awaiting the resumption of general counseling. This incident has intensified calls for the government to clarify the criteria under which transfers are approved during suspensions and to ensure that uniform rules apply to all eligible teachers.
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