Bandipora Teachers Accuse CEO, DSEK of Bias in Transfer Policy

Convener News Desk

Bandipora, Feb 22: A large number of teachers in Bandipora have raised strong objections against the Chief Education Office (CEO) Bandipora and the Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) for allegedly punishing them through unfair transfers to remote areas of Gurez Valley.

The teachers claim that while majority of teachers from Gurez, including Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers, have been given convenient postings in different zones of Bandipora and even outside the district in Srinagar while they are being sent to hard-to-reach villages to compensate for these transfers.

According to the agitated teachers, the CEO Office and DSEK have facilitated the deputation of numerous teachers including a large number of ReT teachers to Srinagar or to the Sumbal zone, which borders Srinagar, favoring certain individuals while others are forced to serve in difficult zones in place of them.  They argue that these transfers are illegal and driven by favoritism rather than genuine administrative needs.

“The teachers appointed in Gurez get convenient postings in Bandipora and Srinagar and instead teachers from Bandipora and Sumbal are sent to Gurez. Why can’t Gurez resident teachers go back to their home stations and perform their duties,” said a teacher who has been posted in Gurez valley for two years.

Officials in the CEO office Bandipora told Kashmir Convener that teachers mostly from Bandipora were sent to Gurez two years ago just to occupy the posts that were lying vacant from past many years owing to transfer of those teachers to convenient places in Srinagar.

“According to a government SRO, these posts were supposed to be deleted because no one had been working on them for years. However, to keep these positions active, teachers from Bandipora were sent to fill them,” the official explained.

“We feel abandoned. No one is raising our voice—not even our local representatives or the teachers’ associations. Last year, several teachers (mostly blue-eyed or members of various forums) used their influence to cancel their transfers, yet the genuine concerns of ordinary teachers go unheard,” said a frustrated teacher, demanding an investigation into these alleged irregularities.

Teachers posted in remote areas, especially in the Tulail region of Gurez Valley, have also expressed concerns over the language barrier, which they say makes it difficult for them to teach effectively.

“Students in primary, middle, and even high schools struggle to understand lessons unless they are communicated in their native language, Shina. Many students do not understand Kashmiri, and some are even unfamiliar with Urdu. How can we be expected to teach them under these circumstances?” questioned another teacher from Bandipora.

Citing the National Education Policy (NEP) guidelines, which emphasize teaching students in their mother tongue, the teachers demanded immediate intervention to rectify the situation. Locals and educationists have also backed their concerns, urging authorities to ensure fair and just postings that align with students’ linguistic and educational needs.

The teachers have urged the administration to review the current transfer policies and ensure that postings are made based on merit and need rather than favoritism. They have also called for a transparent system that prioritizes student learning outcomes over administrative convenience.