Editor,
The government of Arunachal Pradesh has been resorting to a short-term solution for the last many years to redress the shortage of subject teachers in the state, rather than taking a long-term solution. The previous CMSSY (Chief Minister Samast Shiksha Yojana) was replaced with CMSK (Chief Minister Samast Shikhsa Yojana this year. Under this new scheme, as many as 752 guest teachers have been recruited to fill up the vacant posts of subject teachers in various higher secondary and secondary schools in the state.
Now the onus of taking care of guest faculties lies in the hands of the government, since we have been employed by the government to ensure that the CBSE board AISE and AISE of Classes 10 and 12 results of this academic session doesn’t put the state government in shame again.
Initially, we were very optimistic that the government would ensure on-time payment of our salaries, so that we could discharge our duties with the best of our abilities, knowledge, and pedagogical skills.
But to our utter dismay, we have been forced to manage our financial requirements for travel, food, and other basic needs on our own for the last 5 months without salary.
In fact, many of us are posted in remote villages, and we find it very difficult to bear the expenses on our own for so long. Further, we are working for a minimal fixed salary of Rs 25,000, without any additional benefits. Despite that, we have maintained the highest level of professionalism throughout these five months inculcated during our BEd course.
The government has time and again shown a uncaring attitude towards the cause of education in the state by not being considerate enough to pay the salary of its 752 young, well-qualified guest teachers for the last five months and on time.
In fact, we have been forced to form an association of guest teachers, so that we may work collectively to seek our salaries.
Further, we opine and pray to the government to consider turning all guest teachers into contractual teachers after proper scrutiny of required documents in the next academic session as a long-term solution to the shortages of subject teachers which has been already fuelled by termination of many TGTs and PRTs across many districts recently, and suspension of TGTs and PGTs examination which was under process in the APSC.
Lastly, we would like to pray to the government to release the salaries of the last five months within the 10th of December, 2023, and do what is necessary for the next academic session as deemed fit.
Guest teachers