Physical education teachers: Fill up sanctioned posts, demands APPEA

ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh Physical Education Association (APPEA) has said that the State government should immediately conduct interviews for filling up 30 sanctioned posts of 'Physical Education Teachers' (PET), pending in the Department of Secondary Education, through the State Staff Selection Board or the State Public Service Commission.

Addressing the media at the Press Club here, APPEA general secretary Thomas Ering said that though around 120 posts for PET are vacant in the entire district yet the government has not yet conducted any recruitment process to fill up these posts.

Physical Education is no more a co-curriculum activity but a proper subject to be taught to the students. Moreover, as per 'New Education Policy-2020', Sports and Physical Education are regular subjects, he added.

"For 10 long years , not a single Physical Education (PE) degree holder has been appointed in the State. As a result, many of the degree holders have crossed the upper age limit," he said, while requesting the State government to extend the upper age limit up to 38 years in line with the other TGT teachers.

Requesting the State government to discourage backdoor political appointments of Sport and Youth Development officers, Ering said that a new recruitment rule of the officers should be framed through the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC).

The Association also said that since the time of former late Chief Minister Kalikho Pul, the Association has been pressing up the issue.

In 2017, the then State government had assured to create 60 posts for PET in a meeting. Among While 30 of these posts were to be filled up by the Education department, the rest were under the Department of Sports.

"We also request the State government to stop the policy of allowing the 'in- charges' to look after the matters of District Sports Office (DSO) as most of them do not have any formal degree of Physical Education and Sports Science," he said, adding that there are cases where a District Transport Officer (DTO) has been appointed as DSO in-charge.

The Association informed that they have also submitted a memorandum to the State Education Minister and Sports & Youth Affairs Minister on conducting the PET exam, and demanded the introduction of Physical Education subject, creation for the post of PET in TGT and PFT in schools.

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