Editor,
I wish to draw the attention of the concerned authorities and the general public to the issue regarding the non-recognition of Special B.Ed degree holders in the recent APPSC PGT examination. It was disheartening for many aspirants to learn that candidates with a Bachelor of Special Education (B.Ed) degree were declared ineligible for the post. There are a significant number of qualified Special B.Ed graduates in Arunachal Pradesh, yet no specific posts have been created for them.
Special degree holders are trained not only to teach children with special needs but also to work effectively in mainstream classrooms. Their curriculum includes core pedagogy, inclusive education, and child psychology, which equip them to handle both regular and special needs learners. As per the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, every mainstream school must have specialized trained teachers (special educators) to ensure inclusive education for all children. Unfortunately, this policy has not been properly implemented in Arunachal Pradesh.
In our state, regular teachers and officials remain unaware of the needs of children with disabilities, leading to neglect and exclusion in classrooms. Many children with special needs drop out at an early stage of schooling because government schools are not equipped with special teachers to support them, forcing them to leave their studies midway. This situation clearly reflects the failure of the authorities to provide equal educational opportunities for all.
Therefore, I urge the state government to take immediate steps to either create separate posts for Special B.Ed teachers as soon as possible or allow them to appear in the PGT and TGT examinations along with general B.Ed candidates.
Yata Ruji,
Itanagar