Odisha to hire junior teachers on annual agreement basis

Bhubaneswar: Barely 10 months after abolishing the contractual system of appointments in the State, Odisha government has decided to hire junior teachers (schematic) on one-year contracts.

A notification issued by School and Mass Education department on Tuesday said the engagement will be on annual agreement basis. ''The agreement will be renewed in subsequent years depending on the performance of teachers. Prior to renewal of the agreement, a teacher has to obtain a certificate from the headmaster concerned regarding his/her attendance and satisfactory service which is to be produced before the Zilla Parishad.''

The notification said a teacher can be disengaged from service with a prior notice of 30 days if she/he violates the conditions of the agreement following an adverse report by the Block Education Officer based on unauthorised absence/misconduct/involvement in criminal cases and others.

Educationists pointed out that the State government in 2018 had decided to abolish the posts of ‘Sikshya Sahayaks’ and replace them with junior teachers on contract for the first three years.

In April this year, the government changed the nomenclature of junior teachers (contractual) to junior teachers (schematic).

Though the government in October 2022 had announced abolition of contractual system of employment and regularisation of services of present contractual employees, the present notification appears to be contradictory to its earlier decision, an expert said.

Sources said the State government was all set to appoint about 20,000 junior teachers on agreement basis before the Lok Sabha and State Assembly polls.