Education Directorate reorganised into school, higher education wings in Himachal

The state government has notified the restructuring of the Directorate of Education into two separate entities: the Directorate of School Education and the Directorate of Higher Education. The decision, which was approved in the last Cabinet meeting, aims to streamline and enhance the administration of education in the state.

Under the new structure, the former Directorate of Elementary Education will now function as the Directorate of School Education. This department will oversee the entire school education system, from the foundational level to Class XII. Earlier, the Directorate of Elementary Education managed only students up to Class VIII.

The Directorate of Higher Education, which was responsible for Class IX-XII and college education earlier, will focus on colleges alone.

To implement the restructuring, which takes effect immediately, the government has formed a committee under the chairmanship of Secretary Education Rakesh Kanwar. The committee will also ensure a smooth transition of staff and responsibilities. Other members of the panel include the Director of School Education, Director of Higher Education, Project Director of Samagra Shiksha, Additional Secretary (Education), Joint Secretary (Education), Under Secretary (Education), and Joint Controller (F&A) Samagra Shiksha.

The government has restructured the Directorate of Education for better implementation of its policies and decisions. There was some opposition to the decision among certain sections of teachers, but the government has pushed it through.