Odisha Plus Two colleges to be closed as courses to start in high schools

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 18:

After the plus two courses became a part of schools in Odisha, the School & Mass Education (S&ME) department is targeting to open the courses in all the high schools within five years by winding up the junior colleges.

According to Union Ministry of Human Resources Department (HRD) guidelines, the plus two courses will be merged with the school education. After clearing matriculation examination, the students will pursue class XI and class XII in high schools. They will get admission into plus three courses in degree colleges after qualifying the plus two from high schools.

With the change in central guidelines, the existing plus two junior colleges in Odisha will be closed. The students will be taught in high school premises. The government will appoint lecturers for the plus two courses in schools. The classes for the courses will be taken in each high school of 314 blocks in 2018-19 academic session.

In view of the new HRD rules, the class VIII has been excluded from the high schools from this academic session and the high school will comprise of only class IX and X students.

Meanwhile, the students are being provided education in vocational courses in 208 high schools by appointing special teachers. The government has begun process to open vocational courses in more high schools from this year.

A pilot project will be prepared to design the plus two courses in the streams of science, arts, commerce and vocation education in high schools. The government is planning to execute the project in 2018-19 academic session.

In first phase, the government has decided to develop the infrastructure to commence the plus two courses in one high school in each block. Necessary initiative will be taken towards constructing adequate class rooms, appointing PG teachers, constructing libraries, laboratories and rooms for practical. The list of schools where the plus two courses will be opened is in final stage. The decision has been taken to introduce the courses from 2018-19 academic session, said Directorate of Higher Secondary Education Director Sundarlal Seal.

The plus two courses will be opened in all the high schools in the state by 2022-23 academic session. The blueprint has already been prepared in this regard. Accordingly, few high schools will be included under this system every year. All the high schools will start introducing the plus two courses by five years in Odisha. With the commencement of plus two courses in high schools, the existing lecturers in junior colleges will be appointed in degree colleges, he said.

Meanwhile, the plus two courses have been introduced in high schools in the states including Haryana, Punjab and Gujarat. The remaining states are going to implement the system from this academic session.