Thiruvananthapuram: The director of general education (DGE) has tendered an unconditional apology for violating the court order in the case of transfer of higher secondary teachers. DGE S Shanavas submitted an apology to the Kerala Administrative Tribunal. On Tuesday, the tribunal heard two contempt of court petitions against the DGE.

The tribunal had given instructions to the DGE in October that due consideration as per rules should be given to teachers working in districts other than their home districts. The first contempt petition was filed when the DGE prepared a transfer list disregarding this order. The list thus prepared was quashed by the tribunal on April 12.

The tribunal then instructed that a revised list as per rules and the earlier instruction should be prepared within a month. Contrary to this, the DGE issued a circular on May 4 asking those who have signed off from their current schools to join the schools they have been transferred to. The second contempt petition was filed by citing this circular to be contrary to the order of the tribunal.

Although this circular was withdrawn by the DGE, most of the teachers in the ‘controversial’ list had already completed the transfer process by then.