The teacher transfer process in Andhra Pradesh has turned chaotic, with many teachers expressing frustration over technical issues, unkept promises, and the government's decision to go ahead with online counselling despite earlier assurances.
What started in May with hopes of a smooth and transparent process has now led to serious concerns and growing anger among teachers across the state.The primary demand from Second Grade Teachers (SGTs), particularly Academic Coordinators of Training (ACTs), is to permit manual counselling instead of requiring everyone to use the online system.
"We were clearly told in the meeting with the Principal Secretary that manual counselling would be done. Why is the government going back on its word?" asked Mannam Srinivas, President of the Telugu Nadu Teachers' Union (TNTU). He added that this is not just a process failure but a clear break of trust.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, K Prakash Rao APPTA State General Secretary said that more than 50,000 teachers are expected to participate in the final phase of transfers. Among them, Secondary Grade Teachers (SGTs) are struggling the most, as they are required to choose from thousands of school options based on seniority. Teachers say it is nearly impossible to make so many selections correctly in a short time.
"We are not machines. If we make even one mistake while selecting, it could affect our entire career. We demand for no other procedures except manual counselling"
Due to these concerns, teachers across the state planned to protest in front of all District Education Officer (DEO) offices on June 8 and staged protests. At the same time, many are posting online with the hashtag #BoycottWebCounselling.
Union leaders say the government is ignoring their repeated appeals and acting as if they are doing the teachers a favour. Officials say there isn't enough time to hold manual counselling for ACTs. However, teachers argue that there is still time if the government is willing. They point out that schools reopen on June 12, and with holidays on June 13 and 14, counselling can still be held offline.
"We are ready to attend even during holidays if needed. We just want the process to be fair and error-free," said a teacher on social media.
The unions have also written to Education Minister Nara Lokesh, requesting that he intervene and resolve the issue before it escalates further. All eyes are now on the state government's response.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Director of School Education V Vijayaramaraju said the department has decided to include slat counselling as part of the web counselling process to address SGTs' concerns. Under this system, options will be given to batches of 500 teachers based on seniority, helping reduce stress. He clarified that manual counselling will not be held, as the online platform has effectively resolved issues of inefficiency, lack of transparency, and perceived bias seen in the manual process.
The new system ensures rule-based, teacher-friendly transfers in line with legal and administrative norms.Ends
