Kohima, April 1 (MExN): The All Nagaland Pre-Service Teachers’ Association (ANPSTA) has accused the state education department of a prolonged failure to conduct open recruitment for primary teachers, alleging that thousands of positions have been filled through unfair means over the past 11 years.
The ANPSTA President Hitova I Murrumi and General Secretary Chalievi-l Dahou in a press release on Wednesday stated that despite 700-800 teachers retiring annually, the vacant posts are being filled by “unqualified individuals, compromising the quality of education.”
The association alleged that while many primary schools face a shortage of subject teachers, the department has refused to advertise posts, citing an excess of teachers—a claim it termed “misleading and detrimental.”
The prolonged inaction, the association stated, has led to widespread frustration among qualified aspirants, many of whom have become overage, changed careers, or lost hope in the system. “The perception that backdoor recruitment is the only way to secure a teaching job is widespread, and it is eroding the faith of the people in the system,” the ANPSTA said.
Since 2018, only two primary teacher posts have been publicly advertised in local newspapers, leaving thousands of aspirants in the dark, it added.
Despite repeated representations and Right to Information (RTI) filings seeking transparency and fairness, the authorities have failed to offer any meaningful response, according to the ANPSTA.
The association cautioned that the department’s continued silence could push aspirants to escalate their agitation. “If corruption continues and the department fails to address the issues, the public won't remain passive. More voices will rise, and actions will follow,” the release said, questioning whether a full-blown crisis would be required before the government acknowledges the “blatant injustice.”
The demand for equal rights and fair recruitment, the ANPSTA added, will only intensify.
