Editor,
Over the past three decades, the education system in Arunachal Pradesh has deteriorated from bad to worse. This decline may be attributed to frequent changes in educational policies, such as RTE Act, 2009 and the Education Policy 2020. Some of these policies may not be entirely suitable or effective in the context of Arunachal due to geographical conditions and the scattered settlements.
Another major concern is that the higher authority often focuses more on personal interests than on students’ welfare. Many teachers neglect their duties and engage in other activities for personal benefit. In several areas, particularly in and around the ICR, schools and urban schools are overcrowded, while the rural regions suffer from a shortage of teachers. There is also a lack of regular monitoring, as the authority rarely visits schools or do not take strict action against neglecting teachers. Teachers appointed through backdoor are inefficient in teaching students.
Due to poor management in the education system for the past many decades, many students have dropped out of school and become vulnerable to social issues such as drug abuse and crime.
For the improvement of the education system, the state government has introduced several initiatives, such as the rationalisation of teachers’ transfer in 2017 and declaring 2021 as the Year of Education. However, these efforts have largely remained ineffective due to poor implementation. I hope that the newly introduced Arunachal Pradesh Teacher Transfer and Posting of Employees of Education Department (Regulation and Management) Bill, 2026 does not meet the same fate.
With the recent introduction this bill, there is high hope among the people, especially in rural areas and economically weaker sections, for meaningful improvement in the education system of Arunachal.
I would also like to offer the following suggestions to further strengthen the education system.
- Creation of a teachers’ accountability commission,
- Teachers below 50 years of age should not be posted in their own district
- No further contractual appointment of teachers under any circumstances,
- Regular monitoring of teacher efficiency and attendance, and
- Regular training in modern teaching methods during vacation periods.
The present bill should be one of the strongest measures to improve and streamline the education system in Arunachal. If this bill also fails to improve the prevailing education system, the government should not hesitate to hand over the management of schools to trusts/NGOs or consider privatisation, so that the future of children/students is no longer jeopardised.
G-R