Bhubaneswar, Oct. 23: The state government has decided to create 11 more education circles in the state for proper implementation of secondary education.

At present, there are 19 circles in 13 districts. The addition of 11 more circles would mean 30 education circles, which is one education circle for each district.

The districts in the new expansion plan are Angul, Boudh, Bargarh, Gajapati, Jharsuguda, Malkangiri, Nayagarh, Rayagada, Sonepur, Nabrangpur and Nuapada. Apart from this, the circle office of Jeypore will be transferred to Nabarangpur for administrative convenience.

The new norms under the Rashtriya Madyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RSMA) necessitated the circles.

The 19 education circles were created much before new districts were born and were insufficient to manage the increasing number of schools and students.

With the implementation of the RMSA, which necessitates one high school within a radius of 5km, it had become imperative to expand the circles.

“Each education circle consists of about 300 to 500 high schools (in different districts). Keeping track of all these schools was a massive job for the circle inspectors. The idea to increase the circles is a welcome move as it would facilitate better monitoring and conduct of exams,” a senior official said.

To improve teaching at the secondary level, the school and mass education department has decided to have a minimum of seven teachers and a headmaster at every secondary school.

While vacant posts in science and mathematics will be filled up on priority basis, the circle inspector of schools will conduct a school-wise assessment of teachers every year.

The department has also decided to make monthly tests mandatory.

In order to ensure good results, a system will be devised by which the nearby schools that are not doing well are tagged to the good schools that have registered 100 per cent result for mentoring purposes.