A government circular said the Directorate of Teacher Education Research and Training has been recently upgraded to the State Council of Educational Research and Training for the implementation of a new curriculum.

The government has also restructured the education department’s administration that involves the posts of the chief education officer, district educational officer, district elementary education officer, inspector of matriculation schools, inspector of Anglo-Indian schools and block educational officer for monitoring all private schools in their respective jurisdiction to ensure that quality of education is being maintained properly.

Accordingly, the joint director of elementary education will now be the competent authority to grant permission to open a new school. Similarly, the joint director of secondary schools and joint director of higher secondary schools will grant permission to open high schools and higher secondary schools.

Likewise, the director of State Council of Educational Research and Training will be the officer in-charge for giving permission to open teachers training institutes in the state.

The district educational officer will be the authorising official to grant permission to open additional sections in existing schools. He will be responsible to inspect the schools for safety and security of students as envisaged under the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act. He should also ensure that no school should function without recognition and will be the authority to initiate disciplinary proceedings if need be.