The school service commission will publish a preliminary list of candidates to be called for document verification before their interviews for secondary-level teaching jobs next week.

The preliminary list is drawn up based on performance in the written test, academic qualifications and teaching experience (applicable for in-service teachers).

During document verification, the SSC will cross-check the academic scores (final undergraduate exam marks) submitted by candidates in their online applications.

“Errors in academic score calculations led to cancellations in the last selection process, and we want to avoid a repeat,” an SSC official said

The SSC published the results of the selection test to shortlist candidates for 23,212 secondary-level teaching jobs on November 24.

An official said they were taking time before the preliminary list of interviewees to ensure that no "tainted candidates" could sneak in.

Four candidates from the "tainted" pool of 1,809 teachers featured on the preliminary interviewee list for the higher secondary level (Classes XI and XII).

"The commission is exercising caution before publishing the preliminary interviewee list for the secondary level," said an education department official.

On November 28, the Supreme Court directed Calcutta High Court to ensure that no one from the tainted list "passed through" during the recruitment process.

An SSC official said while they were sanitising the list, they are going ahead with the selection process because the Supreme Court set the commission a December 31 deadline to complete the recruitments.

"After the document verification, we have started the interview process for the Plus-II level (Classes XI and XII). The same exercise has to be held for the secondary level (Classes IX and X). If we do not comply, it will amount to a contempt of the Supreme Court," said an SSC official.

On April 3, the Supreme Court terminated the jobs of 17,209 teachers at the secondary and higher secondary levels of government-aided schools due to a vitiated recruitment process in 2016.

In a moderated order on April 17, the apex court asked the commission to identify those who were "not specifically found to be tainted" among the 17,209. It said they could continue with salaries till December, but would have to clear a fresh selection process to retain their jobs.

On April 22, the commission found that 15,403 teachers were not specifically found to be tainted, and they were later identified as "untainted" by the Supreme Court.

On the tainted list, 1,809 candidates were named as tainted and barred from taking part in the fresh selection process.

The commission held the selection tests for the secondary and higher secondary teachers on September 7 and 14, respectively.