Itanagar: The Arunachal Pradesh government has initiated steps to address the shortage of principals in higher secondary schools across the state, Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona informed the Assembly on Friday.
Responding to a question raised by Thangwang Wangham, an MLA of the National People’s Party during Question Hour, the minister explained that the current Recruitment Rules, 2010 require headmasters and vice-principals to complete at least eight years of qualifying service before becoming eligible for promotion to the post of principal.
However, he said that at present no officers from these feeder posts fulfil the required eligibility criteria.
To address the situation temporarily, Sona said the government has started assigning vice-principals to serve as principals until the recruitment rules are revised. Once the rules are amended, the department will proceed with regular appointments of principals in schools across the state.
Sona further informed the House that the department has already initiated a proposal seeking a one-time relaxation in the recruitment rules, particularly regarding the mandatory qualifying service period for headmasters and vice-principals.
“The proposal is currently under process, and regular postings of principals will be taken up after the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting,” he said.
The minister also informed the House that Arunachal Pradesh currently has 110 higher secondary schools, while only 100 posts of principals have been sanctioned.
Highlighting a specific concern raised by Wangham, who represents the Longding-Pumao constituency, Sona acknowledged that a higher secondary school in Longding district has been functioning without a principal for a considerable period.
He said the issue has been taken note of and steps are being initiated to fill the vacancy.
According to the minister, the delay in appointing principals is mainly due to the absence of officers who meet the mandatory eight-year qualifying service requirement under the existing rules.
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Sona further informed the Assembly that the government is planning a comprehensive restructuring of the state’s education department. As part of this exercise, the department is considering abolishing the post of district adult education officer, which he said has become largely irrelevant in the present scenario.
