ITANAGAR : The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has urged the state government to immediately fill teacher vacancies and undertake large-scale upgradation of school infrastructure across Arunachal Pradesh.

A delegation of the union, led by president Meje Taku and general secretary Mato Bui, called on Education Minister P D Sona here on Wednesday and submitted a 27-point memorandum seeking reforms across school, college and university education in the state.

Focusing primarily on school education, AAPSU said around 52 government schools — out of 109 higher secondary and 189 secondary schools — are functioning without regular principals or vice principals. The union said prolonged in-charge arrangements have affected academic and administrative functioning and demanded immediate appointment of principals, vice principals and headmasters on a time-bound basis.

AAPSU also sought a state-wide recruitment drive to fill vacancies of Primary Teachers (PRT), Trained Graduate Teachers (TGT) and Post Graduate Teachers (PGT), stating that every child has a constitutional right to access qualified teachers.

The union further raised concern over the absence of Physical Education and Music teachers in government schools, citing provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

Seeking improvement in basic educational facilities, AAPSU demanded a comprehensive infrastructure revamp in government schools, particularly in border and remote areas. It also called for strict implementation of the RTE Act, regular delivery of mid-day meals, free textbooks and uniforms, and introduction of a uniform fee structure in government schools to prevent arbitrary fee collection.

At the higher education level, the union demanded recruitment to vacant Assistant Professor and Associate Professor posts in government degree colleges and sought introduction of new academic departments in colleges where several disciplines are unavailable.

AAPSU also pressed for appointment of regular Vice Chancellors at Arunachal Pradesh University (APU), Pasighat, and Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), Doimukh, besides seeking expansion of infrastructure, hostel facilities and faculty strength in higher educational institutions.

The union further appealed to the government to address delays in disbursement of Umbrella Scholarships, stating that many students studying outside the state face financial hardship due to irregular release of scholarship funds.

Education Minister P D Sona assured the delegation that the issues raised would receive due attention. AAPSU said it would continue to follow up on the demands and expect time-bound action from the government.