The Arunachal Teachers’ Association (ATA) has decided to boycott the coming state board examinations and, if needed, the CBSE examinations. The teachers’ association has alleged that the state government is not responding to their demands. Further, they also want complete bifurcation of the directorate of elementary and secondary education down to the block level. The decision of the ATA to boycott the coming state board and CBSE examinations will impact the entire examination process. Further, it will send out a wrong message about the state to the rest of the country.
The state government should immediately invite ATA members to discuss the demands placed by them. It may not be possible to fulfil all the demands, but some of them can be definitely addressed by the government. Both the ATA and the state government should try to find a middle ground. The confrontation will not be in the interest of the student communities of Arunachal Pradesh. The two sides will have to find a common ground acceptable to both. The state board and the CBSE are two of the most important examinations of the state. If the teachers decide to boycott the two exams, the students will suffer. This should not be allowed to happen. It is time the state government immediately initiated the process to start dialogue with the ATA to resolve the deadlock.