𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀’ 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝗮𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘀, 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗘𝗧 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

EP Desk, Pasighat, September 5, 2026: Teachers across East Siang district observed Teachers’ Day on Friday by wearing black badges to express solidarity with teachers’ organisations raising concerns over the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) requirement for in-service teachers. The observance followed an appeal by the District Executive Committee of the Arunachal Teachers’ Association (ATA), East Siang District Unit. In a circular issued on September 4, the association urged teachers to participate peacefully and maintain unity and dignity while drawing attention to concerns arising from the recent Supreme Court judgment on TET. The TET requirement was introduced following the enactment of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which provided for minimum qualifications for teachers appointed to elementary schools. The issue has now become a matter of concern among several serving teachers, particularly those who entered government service before the TET requirement came into effect. Speaking during the observance, Kalen Komut, General Secretary of the ATA East Siang District Unit, said association members visited around many schools in the district to interact with teachers and understand their concerns. Komut said many serving teachers have dedicated 15 to 20 years to the teaching profession and have contributed significantly to the education of generations of students, including those who later became doctors, engineers and professionals in various fields. He expressed concern that requiring long-serving teachers to appear for an eligibility examination at this stage could create anxiety within the teaching community. He further said that preparing for an examination while continuing regular teaching responsibilities could divide teachers’ attention between job security and classroom duties. According to him, such a situation could have an indirect impact on the teaching-learning process, particularly in schools that already depend heavily on experienced educators. At Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Upper Primary School, TGT Mary Tayeng also raised concerns about the uncertainty surrounding the examination. She questioned whether experienced teachers would be required to prepare under the existing syllabus or a revised syllabus and said senior teachers could face difficulties in preparing for a competitive examination after many years in service. She also expressed concern over the possible consequences for schools if serving teachers fail the examination, particularly in terms of the availability of experienced teachers and continuity of classroom teaching. Similarly, Nasi Darang of Government Secondary School, Mirbuk, said teachers already serving in government schools should not necessarily be placed under the same requirement as newly appointed teachers. With only a few years remaining in his service, Darang said the issue had created uncertainty among experienced educators. He advocated that the TET requirement should primarily be applied to newly appointed teachers rather than those who have already rendered several years of service in the education department. Other teachers, including Osor Jamoh of Mirbuk School and WR Singh of Balwadi School, also shared their views during the interaction. The black-badge observance was undertaken in solidarity with the All India Primary Teachers’ Association (AIPTA), All India Federation of Teachers’ Organisations (AIFTO), ATA Central Executive Committee and other teachers’ organisations that have raised concerns over the implications of the Supreme Court judgment. The East Siang ATA appealed to teachers to participate peacefully and in a disciplined manner and encouraged them to share photographs of the observance on social media to collectively highlight the concerns of the teaching fraternity. For the teachers, the black badge was more than a symbolic gesture. It reflected their concerns over the application of the TET requirement to experienced in-service educators and the possible implications for job security, teacher morale and the continuity of education in government schools. #highlightseveryone TopFans