300 Uttarakhand teachers set example choosing difficult areas to teach, leaving comfort

DEHRADUN: In Uttarakhand state where most teachers want transfers to schools in “easy” areas, there are over 300 teachers who have insisted on serving in difficult and inaccessible areas of Uttarakhand for more than two decades.

According to sources in the education department, 501 lecturers and 1,253 assistant teachers have been shifted from remote areas to accessible areas in the current academic year. As many as 431 lecturers and 467 assistant teachers were compulsorily transferred from “easy” to inaccessible areas.

Apart from this, 421 LT teachers (licentiate teacher grade) in the Garhwal division and 257 teachers in the Kumaon division were transferred on their request, while 327 lecturers were transferred in both divisions.
Ghanshyam Dhoundiyal, headmaster of Syuni Malli, a primary school in Chamoli district, said he has been volunteering to serve in a remote school for 23 years. He said he got the opportunity to be promoted to the post of Assistant Teacher LT twice, but he gave up the promotion. “My real promotion was the increased trust of the local people in me,” he said.

“Headmaster Dhoundiyal is extremely attached to this school which he believes can change the future of his students. He is an example for those who shy away from a posting in inaccessible areas,” said a student.Satish Ghildiyal, an assistant teacher of Junior High School Akhandwali Bhilang in Dehradun’s Raipur block, has been posted in a remote school since his appointment in the department in 1996. “I was the first appointee at the remote primary school Syalkhal block Nainidanda in Pauri district, where I have been serving in my post since 2005. I want every child in the hills to get a quality education so that one doesn’t have to go to big cities,” said Ghildiyal.

Sanjay Chauhan works in various districts as an education motivator in Garhwal. “In hilly areas, teachers who are deeply concerned about their students are giving up their comforts and prefer to serve in difficult circumstances,” said Chauhan.

Uttarakhand Director General of Education Banshidhar Tiwari told this newspaper that there are over 300 such teachers in the department, who have requested to stay on in their schools in remote areas. Departmental sources said despite teachers being transferred as per rules, many of them continue to make rounds of the department bringing along with them recommendations from area MLAs or ministers.

Compulsory transfer

According to sources in the education department, 501 lecturers and 1,253 assistant teachers have been shifted from remote areas to accessible areas. As many as 431 lecturers and 467 assistant teachers were compulsorily transferred from “easy” to inaccessible areas. Apart from this, 421 LT teachers (licentiate teacher grade) in the Garhwal division and 257 teachers in the Kumaon division were transferred on their request, while 327 lecturers were transferred in both divisions.