Digitalisation of attendance: Basic edu dept getting tough on teachers

After Unnao, BSA Barabanki has issued orders to withhold salary of teachers who do not mark their attendance online

LUCKNOW: The basic education department is taking a tough stance against teachers who oppose the digitalisation of attendance across the state. The department has called an urgent online meeting of all block education officers, district coordinators (training), and other officials on Thursday to ensure 100% digitisation of registers, according to a letter sent by Rajendra Prasad, additional project director of the department.

Teachers of Jiamau Primary School doing duty with black band on arms to protest against digital attendance. (HT)

Out of 6.09 lakh teachers, only 4,493 digitally marked their attendance on Wednesday, which is merely 0.79%. This is even lower than the figure recorded on the first day of online attendance implementation, July 8.

In another development following Unnao, Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) of Barabanki, Santosh Kumar Dev Pandey, issued an order to withhold the salary of teachers who are not recording attendance digitally. Meanwhile, Lucknow BSA Ram Pravesh, in a letter to all block education officers, said that senior officials clearly instructed to ensure 100% digitisation of registers and daily attendance recording should be implemented in council schools run by UP Basic Education Council.

According to the Lucknow BSA’s letter, BEOs of the respective development blocks should regularly inspect at least five schools daily to ensure 100% digitisation of registers. The BEOs should establish control within their blocks and nominate a nodal officer for digitization to monitor the process effectively every day.

State Resource Group members should personally visit two schools and ensure full compliance by supporting teachers in digitising registers. They should provide assistance to teachers in schools assigned to their blocks.

The teacher cluster in the concerned development block must ensure 100% compliance by supporting teachers in digitising registers in schools within their Nyaya Panchayat/Ward.

“Therefore, BEOs were directed to ensure 100% compliance in digitising registers (student attendance, teacher attendance, and mid-day meal attendance) from July 11. Otherwise, departmental action will be initiated,” said Lucknow BSA Ram Pravesh.

The principal secretary, basic education emphasises that students are the primary stakeholders in the school education system.