Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Government has set in motion the process of bringing classes from first through tenth as well as higher secondary and vocational higher secondary departments under one directorate. As per this major recommendation of the Khader Committee on integrating different streams of school education the Deputy Director's post in districts will be abolished and Joint Director will take its place.
In place of the District Education Office (DEO) and sub-district education office headed by the Assistant Education Officer (AEO), School Education Offices (SEO) will be established at the block and corporation levels.
The schools in municipalities will be brought under the jurisdiction of the SCO centered in the adjacent block.
The post of panchayat education officer may be created for the administration of the education programme and to ensure coordination. At the higher secondary level, the office of the Regional Deputy Directorate (RDD) and those of assistant directors will be abolished.
The measures are intended to achieve the unification by June. For ensuring timely unification, the special rules, amendments to the Kerala Education Rules (KER) and issues with regard to cadres are being studied.
Special cell
The decision in these regard were taken at a workshop organised for education officers of the special cell constituted by the government as part of implementing the Khader Committee report. The recommendations will be submitted to the government shortly.
The gradation of the cadres from teachers to the Joint Director of Education and the codification of the responsibilities are being carried out under the special cell. The mapping of posts for promotion is also part of the process.
Past mergers, redefined roles
Earlier, the Directorate General of Education (DGE) was formed by merging the directorates of general education, higher secondary and vocational higher secondary education (VHSE) streams. Where there were high schools and higher secondary schools, the Principal of the higher secondary school was appointed as the head of the institution. The post of principal of high school was changed to vice principal.
The joint director had been designated as the district authority when five departments of local self-government department were unified.