Sri Vijaya Puram, July 16: The Andaman and Nicobar Administration has upgraded the State Institute of Education (SIE) into the Andaman and Nicobar Islands State Council of Educational Research and Training (A&NI-SCERT), creating the Union Territory’s apex academic institution to strengthen school education, teacher training, curriculum development and educational research.
The restructuring, approved by the Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, marks a major institutional change in the education sector and is aimed at strengthening academic support for schools across the Union Territory in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
With the upgradation, A&NI-SCERT will function directly under the Department of Education instead of operating under the administrative control of the Directorate of Education, as was the case with the State Institute of Education.
Established in 1979, the State Institute of Education was primarily responsible for conducting in-service training programmes for teachers at different levels and supporting the monitoring and supervision of schools across the islands. The institution played a key role in improving teaching standards and strengthening the overall quality of school education through capacity-building initiatives.
Following its restructuring, A&NI-SCERT will serve as the principal academic authority of the Union Territory. The institution will provide comprehensive academic support to the Directorate of Education while focusing on improving the quality of education from pre-primary to senior secondary levels.
The upgraded institution will also work towards strengthening teacher education, promoting professional development programmes, enhancing curriculum development and expanding educational research. It is expected to play a central role in academic planning and innovation across the school education system.
The Administration stated that the establishment of A&NI-SCERT represents an important step towards advancing educational research, curriculum reforms, teacher capacity-building and academic innovation in accordance with the objectives of the National Education Policy 2020.
The move is intended to create a stronger academic framework capable of supporting schools, educators and education administrators while promoting higher standards in teaching and learning throughout the Union Territory.
According to the Department of Education, the upgradation reaffirms its commitment to building an inclusive, equitable and future-ready education system by strengthening institutional capacity, supporting educators and expanding learning opportunities for students across the islands.
The restructuring of SIE into A&NI-SCERT is expected to provide a dedicated institutional mechanism for academic planning, educational research and teacher development, reinforcing long-term efforts to improve the quality of school education across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
