Dear Editor,
On 18th August 2018 I have attended the All Arunachal Pradesh Elementary Teachers’ Association (AAPETA) meeting and had a patience hearing and keen observation from selection of Chairman to vote of thanks and dispersal of teachers attending the meeting.
The topics set for discussions and the Presidential speech by the AAPETA HQ President, Itanagar were their achievements for creation of AAPETA and some teachers who were genuinely helped. The pay anomalies for PRTs/TGT/PGTs as described are same as ATAs demand.
I being a PRT teacher cannot disassociate from any of the Association and cannot remain in both ATA or AAPETA.
But if I am asked about remaining in ATA, there will be a big NO because;
1. There are thousands of teachers who are working in remote places of Arunachal Pradesh who want to work in a soft place of posting. There are hundreds of teachers who are occupying soft place of posting in the capital or Dist HQs or Sub -Divisional HQs and are over staying from 12 to 18 years but never been transferred. The ATA is blind so it does not see them.
2. Nothing is done for Matriculate Teachers (Class XII Pass) who has no D.EL.Ed/ DPE or any equivalent certificates but has served the state selflessly for 20 to 25 years or are at the verge of superannuation. We have no information on arrears we ought to get. There is vast unseen and unknown gap in between ATA and some teachers like me.
If I am asked to switch over to AAPETA, I will say “Not now” because let us prove that you can clear the stagnation of teachers in soft posting places like Dist HQs, towns and adjoining villages of towns and HQs. Let us prove that you can fight for equal distribution of teachers in every school across Arunachal Pradesh. Let us prove that you can move the Department, specially DDSE’s to transfer teachers who are over staying for more than 5 years at a stretch in one school.
Let us prove that a senior most teacher does not work under a teacher more junior to him. I will be happy to be in such an Association who looks into all these problems. These are my own views.
Yours,
Nomni Pertin,
Kharsang