Biometric gadgets to fix attendance in schools

Vizianagaram: The state government has decided to install biometric instruments in all ZP high schools to streamline the attendance of teachers and students. More than 3,200 schools will be equipped with the instruments and all the teachers are required to put their thumb while coming and going out of the school.

In the first phase, the officials have decided to install 1,443 biometric machines in 630 schools to monitor the attendance of the both students, teachers and other staff. Later, the system will be implemented in all schools in the coming few months.

At present, the district officials have been receiving the complaints from hilly and agency villages that the teachers who were appointed to work there are irregular in their duties and are even appointing some proxy teachers on nominal payment to work on their behalf. Some teachers who are posted to work at remote villages are staying in towns and carrying out their own activities like real estate and finance businesses.

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HIGHLIGHTS:

• Installation of instrument underway in 630 schools in the district under first phase
• The gadgets will be synchronised with cellular network so that the attendance can be monitored by top officials with no scope for tampering at school level
• Some teachers working in remote and hilly areas are alleged to have been using proxy teachers while carrying out their businesses in towns

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Though mandal-level officials are aware of this truancy, they are keeping silent and even becoming partners in this unethical practice. In the wake of this, the government has decided to set the things right. Technicians have been installing the biometric machines based on the cell phone net work available in that areas concerned.

They are instructed to complete the task by the end of this academic year so that new system of monitoring attendance through biometric method can be implemented from June. Some of the headmasters are allegedly submitting fake records inflating the number of children to the government in order to get more funds from government under midday meal programme.

Now with the implementation of biometric attendance, the number of students cannot be tampered with and funds will be utilised in right way. The government is spending Rs.3.25 crores to provide midday meals for four lakh students in the Vizianagaram district alone.

Speaking to The Hans India, district educational officer K Aruna Kumari said, “This is the right way to monitor the attendance of the students and teachers too. All the schools will get the biometric machines in a phased manner. We can release funds to the schools as per the attendance recorded in those machines. It will be helpful even to the students as they will learn punctuality and follow discipline.”

S Simhachalam, secretary of AP state SC, ST Teachers Association, said, “We welcome the efforts of the government but we request the authorities to rectify the technical errors in those machines. Some areas don’t have cell phone signals and the teachers and students are facing trouble. So the government should take steps to address those issues.”

By: Koppara Gandhi