Bhubaneswar, April 29: Around 8,000 siksha sahayaks, a category of primary schoolteachers appointed in 2012 across the state, run the risk of losing their jobs for not clearing the Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET).

The teachers had been asked to submit OTET pass certificates to the district authorities by March 2013. But, many of them are yet to do it. The entrance test is held to recruit teachers for primary and upper primary schools across the state.

The school and mass education department has directed all the district collectors to review the engagement of shiksha sahayaks employed in 2012. In a letter to the district collectors, department secretary Ranjana Chopra has sought information on how many siksha sahayaks, engaged in their respective districts, have cleared the OTET and submitted their certificates. The report has been sought by tomorrow.

Following an Orissa High Court order in August 2012, the department had issued instructions to complete the engagement process of siksha sahayaks on the condition that the future renewal of engagement shall be subject to submission of OTET pass certificate on or before March 2013.

"If the incumbent is unable to submit the OTET pass certificate before the collector (who is also the chief educational officer) in respective districts, before the said date, she or he will be disengaged automatically," the instruction had said.

The secretary, in her letter, has also sought an action-taken report from the collectors, according to the condition stipulated in the order.

The teachers' associations have criticised the government's move saying it would only create more trouble and ultimately affect studies in schools. Siksha Sahayak Mahasangh head Sunil Kumar Pradhan said: "If OTET is that important, why did not they make it mandatory for the contractual teachers for their re-appointment? It's nothing but a farce to disturb the entire education system of the state repeatedly."

The state government had cancelled the appointment of contract teachers in November 23, 2015 following a high court order.

once again invited fresh applications for 5,364 posts and re-appointment of the disengaged teachers.