imported>NicolasDenney09 at 10:10, 1 May 2026

2026-05-01T10:10:20Z

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{{Short description|Government body managing education in Kerala, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name = Department of General Education
| nativename =
| nativename_a = {{lang|ml|പൊതുവിദ്യാഭ്യാസ വകുപ്പ്}}
| nativename_r =
| logo =
| logo_width =
| logo_caption =
| type = Department
| seal = Government of Kerala Logo.svg
| seal_width =
| seal_caption =
| formed = {{Start date and age|1995||}}
| preceding1 = Education Department, Government of Kerala
| proceeding =
| preceding =
| dissolved =
| superseding =
| jurisdiction = [[Kerala]]
| headquarters = [[Thiruvananthapuram]]
| employees =
| budget =
| minister1_name = [[V. Sivankutty]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.education.kerala.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66&Itemid=74|title = General Education Department – General Education Department|language=ml, en}}</ref>
| minister1_pfo = Minister for General Education and Literacy
| chief1_name = A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish IAS [[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Secretaries to Government of Kerala |url=https://kerala.gov.in/subdetail/MTIzOTc2NzU2LjY0/MTk5NjIzNTkuMTI= |website=Government of Kerala |publisher=Government of Kerala |access-date=1 May 2026 }}</ref>
| chief1_position = [[Chief secretary (India)|Additional Chief Secretary]]
| chief2_name = Dr.Chithra S IAS [[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]]
| chief2_position = Additional Secretary, General Education
| parent_agency = [[Government of Kerala]]
| child1_agency = [https://education.kerala.gov.in/directorate-of-general-education/ Directorate of General Education]
| child2_agency = [https://scolekerala.org/ SCOLE Kerala]
| child3_agency = [https://scert.kerala.gov.in/ SCERT Kerala]
| child4_agency = [[KITE Kerala|Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE)]]
| child5_agency = [[Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority]]
| child6_agency = [https://siemat.kerala.gov.in/ SIEMAT-Kerala]
| child7_agency = [[Kerala Board of Public Examination|KBPE]]
| child8_agency = [[Directorate of Higher Secondary Education|HSE Wing]]
| website = https://www.education.kerala.gov.in
| footnotes =
| chief3_name = Shri.NSK Umesh IAS
| chief3_position = Director, General Education Department
| chief4_name =
| chief4_position =
| chief5_name =
| chief5_position =
| chief6_name =
| chief6_position =
| chief7_name =
| chief7_position =
| chief8_name =
| chief8_position =
| chief9_name =
| chief9_position =
| parent_department =
}}
The '''General Education Department''', [[Government of Kerala]] is the administrative body responsible for overseeing [[School|school education]] in the Indian state of [[Kerala]]. Founded in 1995, The department administers and regulate school education from [[Kindergarten|pre-primary]] level to the [[Secondary school|higher secondary]] level and teacher training. The department formulates educational policies, implements government programs, and ensures quality education across the state.

== Organisation ==

=== General Education Department ===
The Department of General Education is a state-level government administrative department in [[Government of Kerala|Kerala]], entrusted with formulating policies, planning, and implementing various educational programs and initiatives across the state. The Department is headed by the Minister for General Education and is assisted by a senior [[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]] official designated as the Secretary of General Education. The [[Principal secretary (India)|Principal Secretary]]/Secretary to the Government functions as the administrative head of the Department and serves as the principal adviser to the Minister for General Education on all matters relating to policy and administration within the Department of General Education.

The current Minister for General Education of Kerala is [[V. Sivankutty]] (Vasudevan Sivankutty), who has held the office since May 20, 2021, in the Second [[Second Vijayan ministry|Pinarayi Vijayan Ministry]]. The incumbent Secretary to Government, General Education Department, is Dr. K. Vasuki IAS.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Secretary – General Education – General Education Department |url=https://education.kerala.gov.in/secretary-education/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250610085103/https://education.kerala.gov.in/secretary-education/ |archive-date=2025-06-10 |access-date=2025-10-14 |website=education.kerala.gov.in |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Directorate of General Education ===
The Directorate of General Education is an administrative body within the Department of General Education. It is responsible for the day-to-day administration, management, and coordination of general education in Kerala. The Directorate is headed by the Director of General Education, an [[Indian Administrative Service]] (IAS) officer, who oversees its functioning and reports to the Secretary of General Education.

The Director of General Education (formerly, the ''Director of Public Instruction'') is the Head of the Department. The Director of General Education is also the Commissioner for Government Examinations in the state. In examination-related activities, he is assisted by the Joint Commissioner, the Secretary, and other staff from the Pareekshabhaven (Office of the Commissioner for Government Examinations).

The Directorate of General Education is made up of the Joint Directors, Regional Deputy Directors, Deputy Directors, and Assistant Directors of Higher Secondary and Vocational Higher Secondary. The department has several Joint Directors who assist the Director in the management and supervision of the department. Each Joint Director is responsible for a specific area, such as primary education, secondary education, or higher secondary education.

The Deputy Directors are responsible for the day-to-day management of the department. They are responsible for implementing policies and programs related to education at the district level.

The Assistant Directors are responsible for the implementation of policies and programs related to education at the school level. They provide technical support to the headmasters and teachers of government schools.

==== Revenue Districts ====
District offices, supervised by Deputy Directors of Education (DDEs), are located in each of the 14 revenue districts for administrative convenience and to increase the effectiveness of school instruction. Each revenue district has Educational Districts and Educational Sub-Districts.There are educational districts and educational sub-districts inside each revenue district, each headed by District Educational Officer (DEO), and Assistant Educational Officer (AEO) respectively.

==== Educational Districts ====
Each educational district is headed by a District Educational Officer (DEO). In the State, 41 Educational District Offices headed by District Educational Officer (DEO) for the administration of High Schools, Training Schools and other special types of schools.

==== Educational Sub-districts ====
In the State, there are 163 educational sub-district offices headed by Assistant Educational Officers (AEO) for the administration of all primary schools within the sub-district. The Assistant Educational Officer (AEO) is responsible for administration and supervision of both upper and lower primary schools.

==== Higher Secondary Wing (DHSE) ====
{{See also|Directorate of General Education (Higher Secondary Wing)}}

The Higher Secondary Wing (formerly ''Directorate of Higher Secondary Education'') is a specific division within the Directorate of General Education. It is responsible for overseeing and managing the higher secondary education system in the state. The Higher Secondary Wing focuses on the education provided to students in grades 11 and 12, commonly known as the higher secondary level or pre-university level or plus two level.

==== Vocational Higher Secondary Wing (DVHSE) ====
Vocational Higher Secondary Education Wing is a specialized division within the General Education Directorate that focuses on vocational education at the higher secondary level.

==Bodies/Agencies==
===Line Departments/ Directorates===
*Directorate of General Education (DGE)
*[[Directorate of Higher Secondary Education|Directorate of General Education (Higher Secondary Wing)]] (HSE Wing)
*Directorate of General Education (VHSE Wing)

===Allied institutions / Atteched Offices===
* [[KITE Kerala|Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE)]]
* Kerala State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT)
* [[Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority]] (KSLMA)
* State Council for Open and Lifelong Education (SCOLE Kerala)
* [[Kerala Board of Public Examination]] (KBPE)
* Kerala Board of Higher Secondary Examination (DHSE Examination Board)
* Kerala Vocational Higher Secondary Examination Board (VHSE Examination Board)

=== Heads of Departments (HODs) ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Heads of Departments under the General Education Department
! Designation
! [[Incumbent]]
!Department/Agency
!Ref.
|-
| Director of General Education
| Umesh NSK [[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]]
|[https://education.kerala.gov.in Directorate of General Education]
|<ref>https://education.kerala.gov.in/directorate-of-general-education/</ref>
|-
| Director, SCERT Kerala
| Dr Jayaprakash R K
|[https://scert.kerala.gov.in State Council of Educational Research and Training, Kerala]
|<ref>https://education.kerala.gov.in/scert/</ref>
|-
| Chief Executive Officer, [[KITE Kerala|KITE]]
| K.Anvar Sadath
|[https://kite.kerala.gov.in Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education]
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=KITE |url=https://kite.kerala.gov.in/KITE/index.php/welcome/about_us |access-date=2025-11-05 |website=kite.kerala.gov.in}}</ref>
|-
| Director, [[Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority]]
|A .G. Oleena
|[https://literacymissionkerala.org/en/administration/ Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority]
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Administration |url=https://literacymissionkerala.org/en/administration/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250715074143/https://literacymissionkerala.org/en/administration/ |archive-date=2025-07-15 |access-date=2025-11-05 |website=literacymissionkerala.org |language=en-GB}}</ref>
|-
| Executive Director, SCOLE Kerala
|Dr. Jinesh Kumar Eramam
|[https://www.scolekerala.org/ State Council for Open and Lifelong Education - SCOLE]
|<ref>https://www.scolekerala.org/</ref>
|-
| Commissioner of Government Examinations, Kerala
| Umesh NSK IAS
{{Resize|(Director of General Education)|size=90}}
|[https://pareekshabhavan.kerala.gov.in/ Office of The Commissioner of Government Examinations]
|
|}

== List of Education Ministers ==
References:<ref>{{Cite web |title=General Info - Kerala Legislature |url=http://www.niyamasabha.org/codes/ginfo_6.htm |access-date=2026-04-22 |website=www.niyamasabha.org}}</ref>

Following is the list of Education Ministers of Kerala before the bifurcation of the Education Department into General Education and Higher Education:
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Sl. No.
! Minister
! Term
! colspan="2" |Party
! Chief Minister
|-
| 1
| [[Joseph Mundassery]]
| 1957–1959
| bgcolor="{{party color|Communist Party of India}}" |
| [[Communist Party of India|CPI]]
| [[E. M. S. Namboodiripad]]
|-
| 2
| [[P. P. Ummer Koya]]
| 1960–1962
| bgcolor="{{party color|Indian National Congress}}" |
| [[Indian National Congress|INC]]
| [[Pattom A. Thanu Pillai]]
|-
| 3
| [[R. Sankar]]
| 1962–1964
| bgcolor="{{party color|Indian National Congress}}" |
| [[Indian National Congress|INC]]
| [[R. Sankar]]
|-
| 4
| [[C. H. Mohammed Koya]]
| 1967–1969
| bgcolor="{{party color|Indian Union Muslim League}}" |
| [[Indian Union Muslim League|IUML]]
| [[E. M. S. Namboodiripad]]
|-
| 5
| [[C. H. Mohammed Koya]]
| 1969–1970
|bgcolor="{{party color|Indian Union Muslim League}}" |
| [[Indian Union Muslim League|IUML]]
| [[C. Achutha Menon]]
|-
| 6
| [[C. H. Mohammed Koya]]
| 1970–1973
|bgcolor="{{party color|Indian Union Muslim League}}" |
| [[Indian Union Muslim League|IUML]]
| [[C. Achutha Menon]]
|-
| 7
| [[Chakkeeri Ahmed Kutty]]
| 1973–1977
|bgcolor="{{party color|Indian Union Muslim League}}" |
| [[Indian Union Muslim League|IUML]]
| [[C. Achutha Menon]]
|-
| 8
| [[C. H. Mohammed Koya]]
| Mar 1977 – Apr 1977
|bgcolor="{{party color|Indian Union Muslim League}}" |
| [[Indian Union Muslim League|IUML]]
| [[K. Karunakaran]]
|-
| 9
| [[C. H. Mohammed Koya]]
| 1977–1978
|bgcolor="{{party color|Indian Union Muslim League}}" |
| [[Indian Union Muslim League|IUML]]
| [[A. K. Antony]]
|-
| 10
| [[U. A. Beeran]]
| Jan 1978 – Oct 1978
|bgcolor="{{party color|Indian Union Muslim League}}" |
| [[Indian Union Muslim League|IUML]]
| [[A. K. Antony]]
|-
| 11
| [[C. H. Mohammed Koya]]
| Oct 1979 – Dec 1979
|bgcolor="{{party color|Indian Union Muslim League}}" |
| [[Indian Union Muslim League|IUML]]
| [[C. H. Mohammed Koya]]
|-
| 12
| [[Baby John]]
| 1980–1981
| bgcolor="{{party color|Revolutionary Socialist Party (India)}}" |
| [[Revolutionary Socialist Party (India)|RSP]]
| [[E. K. Nayanar]]
|-
| 13
| [[P. J. Joseph]]
| 1981–1982
| bgcolor="{{party color|Kerala Congress (Joseph)}}" |
| [[Kerala Congress]]
| [[K. Karunakaran]]
|-
| 14
| [[T. M. Jacob]]
| 1982–1987
|bgcolor="{{party color|Kerala Congress (Jacob)}}" |
| [[Kerala Congress (Jacob)]]
| [[K. Karunakaran]]
|-
| 15
| [[K. Chandrasekharan]]
| 1987–1991
|
| —
| [[E. K. Nayanar]]
|-
| 16
| [[E. T. Mohammed Basheer]]
| 1991–1995
|bgcolor="{{party color|Indian Union Muslim League}}" |
| [[Indian Union Muslim League|IUML]]
| [[K. Karunakaran]]
|-
| 17
| [[E. T. Mohammed Basheer]]
| 1995–1996
|bgcolor="{{party color|Indian Union Muslim League}}" |
| [[Indian Union Muslim League|IUML]]
| [[A. K. Antony]]
|-
| 18
| [[P. J. Joseph]]
| 1996–2001
| bgcolor="{{party color|Kerala Congress (Joseph)}}" |
| [[Kerala Congress]]
| [[E. K. Nayanar]]
|-
| 19
| [[Nalakath Soopy]]
| 2001–2004
|bgcolor="{{party color|Indian Union Muslim League}}" |
| [[Indian Union Muslim League|IUML]]
| [[A. K. Antony]]
|-
| 20
| [[E. T. Mohammed Basheer]]
| 2004–2006
|bgcolor="{{party color|Indian Union Muslim League}}" |
| [[Indian Union Muslim League|IUML]]
| [[Oommen Chandy]]
|-
| 21
| [[M. A. Baby]]
| 2006–2011
|bgcolor="{{party color|Communist Party of India (Marxist)}}" |
| [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|CPI(M)]]
| [[V. S. Achuthanandan]]
|-
| 22
| [[P. K. Abdu Rabb]]
| 2011–2016
|bgcolor="{{party color|Indian Union Muslim League}}" |
| [[Indian Union Muslim League|IUML]]
| [[Oommen Chandy]]
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+ List of General Education Ministers of Kerala (since bifurcation in 2016)
! Sl. No.
! Minister
! Term
! colspan="2" |Party
! Chief Minister
|-
| 1
| [[C. Raveendranath]]
| 2016–2021
| bgcolor="{{party color|Communist Party of India (Marxist)}}" |
| [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|CPI(M)]]
| [[Pinarayi Vijayan]]
|-
| 2
| [[V. Sivankutty]]
| 2021–Incumbent
| bgcolor="{{party color|Communist Party of India (Marxist)}}" |
| [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|CPI(M)]]
| [[Pinarayi Vijayan]]
|}

==See also==
* [[Department of Higher Education (Kerala)|Higher Education Department, Government of Kerala]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.education.kerala.gov.in The official website of General Education Department, Government of Kerala]

{{Education in Kerala}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Education}}
[[Category:Education in Kerala]]
[[Category:Government departments of Kerala]]
[[Category:Subnational education ministries|Kerala]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1995]]
[[Category:1995 establishments in Kerala]]

General Education Department Kerala - Revision history

imported>NicolasDenney09 at 10:10, 1 May 2026