Education Minister chairs review meeting with Deputy Directors to strengthen school education standards in state
2 min read
SHIMLA 27 Feb, 2026
· Vacant buildings of merged school to be repurposed as community learning centers
· CCTV surveillance made mandatory in all board exam centers
Education Minister Rohit Thakur today here chaired a comprehensive review meeting with Deputy Directors of School Education (Secondary, Elementary and Quality Wing) to assess academic standards, administrative efficiency and overall school performance across the State. He said that Deputy Directors carry direct responsibility for effective policy implementation and measurable improvement in learning outcomes at the district level.
He said that all funds released under Samagra Shiksha must be utilized in a strictly time-bound and outcome-oriented manner, with full expenditure by 31 March 2026. He said clear accountability has been fixed at the Deputy Director level to ensure that resources translate into visible classroom improvements. He asked to intensify the field visits and submit the reports frequently.
The Education Minister took a detailed review of school rationalization, particularly in merged schools. He directed that buildings made available after mergers must not remain idle and should be repurposed as digital learning centres, pre-primary sections, Mahila Mandals, skill development labs, sports facilities or community resource centers as per local needs. He further said that administrative barriers between primary and secondary schools must be removed so that laboratories, libraries, playgrounds and teaching staff can be shared efficiently.
The Education Minister also examined the rationalization of Science and Commerce streams in Government Senior Secondary Schools. Out of 1,970 schools, Science is functional in 818 and Commerce in 799. He directed Deputy Directors to ensure optimal deployment of faculty and infrastructure while safeguarding student’s access to quality education in all regions.
The Minister also reviewed the examination preparedness under the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education. He said that merged Government schools would function as designated Board examination centres, with Principals appointed as Centre Coordinators and held directly accountable for smooth and fair conduct. He said CCTV cameras with live monitoring have been made mandatory in all examination halls and directed to placed previously identified black-spot centres under special surveillance. He directed the development of a robust digital mechanism enabling one-click access to departmental data for real-time monitoring by the department.
Taking serious note of delays by certain private schools in issuing School Leaving Certificates (SLCs) to students seeking admission in Government Central Board of Secondary Education-affiliated institutions, the Education Minister said that such cases must be resolved within a fixed timeframe so that no student’s academic future suffers and directed Deputy Directors to intervene and take necessary action. He also reviewed matters relating to post-CBSE affiliation, sub-cadre eligibility and pending recruitment issues for early resolution.
