Bhubaneswar, June 12:: Higher Secondary (Plus Two) colleges attached to degree colleges and universities will be separated. Composite institutions will be divided into independent higher secondary schools. In this regard, the Higher Education Department has once again issued instructions to all government colleges, non-government aided degree colleges, and District Education Officers to expedite the process.
The department’s letter states that the government has observed that in many colleges and universities, the separation process has not yet been fully completed. Therefore, steps should be taken to speed up the separation of Plus Two colleges (higher secondary schools) from degree colleges and universities. A joint meeting between the Higher Education Department and the School & Mass Education Department was held on May 6 this year, where it was decided after discussion that Plus Two institutions will be separated from degree colleges and universities. For this purpose, a four-member committee has been formed. The District Collector-cum-District Magistrate will chair this committee. The college principal and the Sub-Collector (SDM) will be members, while the District Education Officer will act as the Member Convener.
Key directives of the Higher Education Department:
A special committee under the District Collector will review and oversee the separation process.
If required, classrooms will be divided in a 70:30 ratio.
The committee will conduct field inspections and take decisions regarding separation.
Initially, the District Education Officer will coordinate with the School & Mass Education Department regarding higher secondary schools. After that, field visits and preliminary steps for division planning will be undertaken. The department also stated that if any difficulty arises in the separation process, alternative arrangements will be made. Under such arrangements, land from the concerned degree colleges may be allocated to the School & Mass Education Department. If possible, nearby high schools may be upgraded into higher secondary schools.
Staff from composite Plus Two institutions will be transferred to the upgraded institutions, and the existing institutions may be closed. In cases where sufficient land is available, composite higher secondary schools will be shifted to nearby high schools to strengthen infrastructure development.
It is also mentioned that where building or land division is not possible, classroom separation will be done in a 70:30 ratio—70% space for degree colleges and 30% for Plus Two classes. However, within the same campus, common facilities such as canteens, playgrounds, auditoriums, multipurpose halls, libraries, and reading rooms will be jointly used by both institutions based on mutual agreement between the authorities.
The letter further states that principals of concerned composite colleges and Sanskrit colleges, along with District Education Officers, will prepare separation plans based on this directive and submit reports to the District Collector for final approval. It has been instructed that this matter should be taken seriously.
The department’s letter also references a previous notification issued on May 24, 2016 (Notification No. 12493), under which Plus Two higher secondary schools were brought under the administrative control of the School & Mass Education Department from July 1, 2016. It had been decided then to separate the infrastructure of both degree and Plus Two colleges to ensure smooth administration, peaceful teaching, and a disciplined academic environment.
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