secondary teachers: 1yr service in remote area must

Staff Reporter  :
Secondary level teachers in the country are now obligated to serve for a mandatory one-year period in remote and mountainous regions during their tenure.

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) introduced this mandate through a new transfer policy announced on Thursday.

According to the policy, teacher transfers will be conducted exclusively online, with applications for transfers accepted only in October each year.

However, for compelling reasons, direct applications may be submitted.

This policy aims to foster a high-quality educational environment and maintain administrative discipline at the secondary level.

It also seeks to streamline the use of existing directives and orders concerning teacher transfers and appointments.

Applicable to school-level teacher transfers and appointments, the policy allows the government to transfer and appoint any teacher at any time for the public interest.

Transfers are restricted to the month of October each academic year, with no transfers entertained outside this period, except under exceptional circumstances where teachers may appeal directly to the Senior Secretary or Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division.

Teachers wishing to transfer must have served in the same institution for over six years, particularly those in metropolitan or district headquarters, and will be eligible for transfers within their district or to an adjacent district, prioritizing positions within these areas without changing their subject specialization.

The policy requires a minimum three-year tenure at the current workplace and valid reasons for seeking a transfer. It prohibits transfers or appointments to vacancies outside a teacher’s subject area as per the organizational structure.