Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has asked the state school and mass education department to identify the schools that have necessary infrastructure to start higher secondary section by end of January 2018 so that admissions can start at the earliest.

The Odisha government will introduce Class XI in selected high schools from the next academic session.

Initially, the zilla high schools in the 13 original undivided district headquarters will be considered.

"These schools will follow the Central Board Of Secondary Education model with prescribed textbooks," said an official.

To streamline state of affairs in several educational institutions, the junior lecturers, who have so far been teaching in Plus II classes, will continue with school and mass education department on deployment basis.

Besides, the subject-wise list of teachers working in junior colleges at present will be handed over to the school and mass education department so that at least those many posts of post-graduate teachers will be created and recruited. The remaining teachers of the junior colleges will be transferred to degree colleges.

A set of guidelines has been formulated by the higher secondary education department based on which separation of colleges will be done.

Besides, a committee has also been framed to give recommendations for proper management of these separated higher secondary schools and their merger with the school system.

Plus-II junior colleges were separated from degree colleges a year ago. The decision to convert Plus-II colleges to schools was taken to help the students fare better in competitive and national-level entrance exams.