Northern Ireland's Education and Library Boards will be radically downsized under a plan by the Education Minister to bypass political deadlock over the creation of a new single education body.
The Education and Skills Authority was due to take over the work of the boards on January 1 to streamline bureaucracy and save £21m, but the DUP blocked the legislation citing concerns over the new body.
It is now understood Education Minister Caitriona Ruane will unveil interim plans that will cut membership of the education and library boards to less than half their current size on Tuesday.
The downsized boards will work closely with the two officials already recruited to lead the new ESA.
It is believed the minister hopes her plan will end confusion over how the education system will be structured after January 1, while still providing a framework for eventually introducing the delayed ESA.
Members of the education system feared an impending crisis after the ESA legislation was stalled in the Assembly.
But it is understood the minister will introduce her transitional plan using existing powers, thereby avoiding the need for support from other political parties.
The minister might have simply reconstituted the boards and allowed the current system to continue after January 1, but it is understood she believes it is preferable to move in the direction of downsizing the decision-making structures.
The current Education and Library Boards are made-up of 35 members each, including large numbers of councillors.
Under the minister's plan it is understood the new transitional boards will continue to reflect the make-up of the community, but will operate with tighter numbers of board members.
The Belfast board will be cut to nine members, the Southern board will be cut to 15 members, the Western board will be cut to 12 and the North Eastern will be reduced to 23.
The four boards have 140 members, with around 40% councillors.
But under the new plans only 24 councillors will sit on the new transitional boards which will have a total of 59 members.
The South Eastern board, meanwhile, is being overseen by commissioners after a long-standing dispute over its budget.
The future of the curriculum and exam bodies which were to fall into the remit of the ESA are to be considered.
It is understood the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools will remain unaffected while consideration is given to its future under the interim plan.
The DUP has cited concerns over the ESA and in particular its implications for predominantly Protestant state controlled schools.
It is understood, however, that fresh compromises have been tabled with the main Protestant churches, which are currently represented in the controlled sector, to secure a resolution to the issue.
© Press Association