OUR CORRES PONDENT
ITANAGAR: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) has submitted a 27-point memorandum to Education Minister P D Sona, seeking urgent reforms in the education sector across the state, including the appointment of school heads, recruitment of teachers, strengthening of colleges and universities, and improvement of infrastructure in educational institutions.
The AAPSU delegation, led by president Meje Taku and general secretary Mato Bui, along with central executive members, met the minister on Wednesday and submitted the memorandum reflecting the concerns and realities faced by students across all 26 districts of the state, a statement said here on Thursday.
Raising major concerns regarding school education, the union informed the minister that around 52 government schools, out of 109 higher secondary schools and 189 secondary schools in the state, are functioning without regular principals or vice-principals.
It said the absence of full-time heads is affecting academic and administrative functioning and demanded the immediate filling of all principal, vice-principal and headmaster posts. AAPSU also sought a state-wide recruitment drive to fill vacancies for PRT, TGT and PGT teachers, stating that every child has the right to access qualified teachers.
The union further highlighted the shortage of physical education and music teachers in government schools and said such appointments are mandated under the National Education Policy 2020 and the Right to Education Act.
The apex students' body of the state also demanded proper implementation of the Right to Education Act in remote and tribal areas, regular supply of mid-day meals, uniforms and textbooks, the introduction of a uniform fee structure in government schools, and a funded programme to improve school infrastructure, especially in border and remote regions.
At the college level, AAPSU demanded the recruitment of assistant professors and associate professors in government degree colleges, saying many institutions are functioning with inadequate teaching staff. It also sought the introduction of new departments such as Psychology, Mass Communication, Commerce, Sociology, Anthropology, Botany, Physics, Chemistry and Zoology in colleges where such subjects are unavailable.
On higher education, the union raised concerns over the functioning of Arunachal Pradesh University (APU) in Pasighat and demanded the appointment of a regular vice-chancellor, as the post has remained vacant since February this year. It also sought the early passage of the APU Academic Ordinance, recruitment of faculty as per UGC norms, hostel facilities, staff quarters, a dedicated power supply and a water treatment plant.
AAPSU further demanded a state research fellowship scheme for APST PhD scholars studying at APU and Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), stating that Arunachal Pradesh is among the few states without such support for indigenous scholars. Referring to Rajiv Gandhi University, the union called for the appointment of a regular vice-chancellor, construction of more hostels and installation of a water treatment plant.
Regarding the North East Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST), it highlighted the shortage of girls' hostel accommodation, sought the construction of a foot overbridge between the North and South campuses, and demanded a water treatment facility.
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