Murad Raas lauds e-transfer app for creating positive impact

• The provincial govt announces online transfers through School Information System from time to time.
  
• Murad Raas launched an e-transfer application in May 2019 to facilitate public school teachers seeking their transfers.
• App requires filling an online form and attaching scanned copies of relevant documents.

Punjab Minister of School Education Dr Murad Raas lauded the Punjab government's paperless initiative for the transfer of school teachers and staff for creating what he termed as "real difference in thousands of lives."

Murad Raas launched an e-transfer application in May 2019 to facilitate public school teachers seeking their transfer to a school at their desired locations. The provincial government announces online transfers through the School Information System (SIS) from time to time.

Reacting to a social media user who presented the example of how the e-transfer app is helping school teachers across Punjab, Raas said: "This is real difference in thousands of lives."

The social media user highlighted the positive impact made by the e-transfer app, saying, "My mother is a teacher in a govt school in Punjab. For 11 years(2008-19) she travelled 50km one side from our residence to her school that took her 1hr-1hr 30min. This meant she travelled around 2hr 30min and 100km each day."

"You can only imagine the fatigue and hassle this would have caused. Now speaking on a merit basis, what more could be a more meritorious reason for a transfer to a nearby school? Yet for 11 years she was not able to get that done," he explained.

The social media user enumerated the reasons for the situation. He said:

1) The vacancies in the schools were never announced. Bureaucrats hid the vacancies trying to get them to their favourite people.

2) If, by some source, you get to know about a vacancy, you will most certainly need rishwat or sifarish to get the seat as the procedure was controlled by the same bureaucracy.

3) Even if we assume no corrupt practices were taking place (I know for a fact that is not the case), the amount of trips you would require to different offices (which you can't even find on the map) for this is not an easy process.

So in 2019, the Punjab government announced the E-transfer system through which teachers could apply for a transfer from the comfort of their home. It required filling an online form and attaching scanned copies of relevant documents.

The criteria for the merit of transfer was based on:

 a) the number of years spent in the distant school;

b) distance of the school from the residence; and

c) special points for disability/widow, etc.

The merit was automatically calculated and then applicants were told to choose their preferences for transfer.

Explaining the merits of the e-transfer app the user continued: "My mother was able to secure posts in 5 nearby schools. YES, 5!  Whereas she couldn't even find a single vacancy nearby (posts hidden) for 11 years, suddenly dozens of nearby schools had vacancies. Even in this process, there was one more hurdle."

The end-stage was physical verification of documents (even though scanned docs had been attached). At this stage, some people still tried to block her way.

"Alhamdulillah, she was able to get the post. The school is now just 3km (6-7 min drive from home)."

"This shows the importance of digitisation of processes, minimising human interactions and thus decreasing corruption. E-Transfer is indeed a success that needs to be celebrated," he added.

The School Education Department of the Punjab government announced on its SIS website: "The next E-Transfer application submission phase (for newly recruited teachers of Mianwali and Rawalpindi) will start on 30-Aug-21."

It is noteworthy that the submission and processing of applications would be subject to the Punjab SED's transfer rules.

Moreover, the finalisation of transfers would depend on the verification of all the data and relevant documents — including enrolment, sanctioned posts, teacher records, etc. — by offices and/or issuing authorities concerned.