ITANAGAR, Aug 25: The Arunachal Pradesh Physical Education Association (APPEA) on Tuesday demanded that the state government immediately conduct recruitment for the remaining 30 sanctioned posts of physical education teachers (PET).
Addressing a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club, APPEA general secretary Thomas Ering said that the recruitment process for the 30 sanctioned posts of PET is pending with the secondary education department since 2017.
He added that around 120 posts of PETs are also vacant in the entire district but no recruitment process is being initiated by the government to fill them.
Informing that under the new education policy physical education is no more a co-curricular activity but a proper major subject which is to be taught to the students, Ering said that the state government should initiate action towards implementing it by recruiting qualified teachers.
“For a decade now, not a single physical education degree holder has been appointed in the state. Because of this, many degree holders have crossed the upper age limit,” he said, and requested the state government to enhance the age limit to 38 years, so that those who were deprived of availing the opportunity may get a chance.
Also requesting the state government to discourage “backdoor” political appointment of sports & youth development officers, Ering advocated framing “a new recruitment rule of the officers through the APPSC for the appointment of officers.”
The association said it has been pressing its issues since the time of former chief minister Kalikho Pul.
In 2017, the then state government had assured to create 60 posts of PETs in a meeting. Out of these, 30 posts were to be recruited to by the education department, and the rest were under the sports department.
“We also request the state government to stop the policy of giving ‘in-charge’ post to look after the matters of the district sports office (DSO) to someone with no physical education and sports science,” Ering said, adding that there is an instance of a district transport officer who has been appointed as the DSO in-charge.
The association informed that it has submitted a memorandum to the education minister and the sports & youth affairs minister regarding conducting of the PET exam, introduction of physical education subject, and “creation of posts of PET in TGT and PGT in schools.”
The association also requested the department concerned to introduce physical education subject and recruit a deputy director, an assistant director and a physical education instructor in the colleges and universities, both government and private.
Creation of posts of district sports officers and assistant sports officers, and “considering physical education and sports science subject as one of the minimum qualifications for the post of youth officers in the youth affairs department” are the other demands placed by the association.
