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UP primary teachers not happy with app for selfie-based attendance system
As per the plan, teachers of primary and upper primary schools (classes 1-8) will have to mark their attendance by taking selfies with students three times a working day — preferably during morning assembly, mid-day meal and while leaving the school.
Despite objections by the Uttar Pradesh Primary Teachers’ Union, the state government is getting ready to implement an online, selfie-based attendance system across the state through the ‘Prerna app’, which has been developed to check increasing absenteeism among the teachers.
As per the plan, teachers of primary and upper primary schools (classes 1-8) will have to mark their attendance by taking selfies with students three times a working day — preferably during morning assembly, mid-day meal and while leaving the school.
The principal or head teacher incharge will then have to send these selfies and photos to officials via the Prerna app.
While the app is formally set to be launched on September 5 (Teacher’s Day), it has already been started in a few districts, including Lucknow, as a pilot project.
The association is opposing the government’s decision because they say they fear photographs of women teachers may be leaked online and these can be misused later. A majority of primary school teachers are women and the education department cannot force them to take selfies, they say.
The basic education department must ensure availability of Android phones, which are required for the app, to the teachers, electricity for charging the phones and paid Internet connections before implementing this order, says Sushil Kumar Pandey, state president of the union.
Pandey also says: “The decision to use the Prerna app for attendance has been taken in a hurry. It is not just or practical. The government must review this decision.” Other representatives of the union say poor internet connectivity in rural pockets will hamper functioning of the app.
Primary school teachers held a meeting on Sunday and decided to hold protests at the district headquarters across UP, if their demands are not met. Representatives from all districts of UP participated in the meeting.
However, senior officers of the education department say apprehensions of the primary school teachers are baseless. They insist the system is foolproof and there is no question of photographs of women teachers being leaked online.
Marking attendance through the app does not require availability of the internet at all times, the officials say.
The online app has been rolled out in three blocks of Lucknow, Kanpur and Barabanki districts as part of a pilot project.
The response is overwhelming, says Vijay Kiran Anand, state project director of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (UP Education for All) on Monday. He says the concern expressed by teachers association is based on false notions. The Prerna app will make the system more transparent, he adds.
WHAT THIS ONLINE APP ALL ABOUT
Now, government school teachers will have to click three selfies a day during school hours. The basic education department has mandated this to ensure the teachers’ attendance in school.
Teachers will take the first selfie of the day during morning assembly with all the school staff, including other teachers, shiksha mitras and non-teaching staff. This will be treated as attendance of all the staff.
The second selfie will be with all students when the mid-day meal is distributed. The basic education department will be able to check the number of student spresent in the school daily.
Government school principals will click a final selfie again with all teaching and non-teaching staff when the school is about to get over. All these photos will have to be sent in real time so that officials from block education officer level to the basic shiksha adhikari (BSAs) can monitor the attendance of teachers and students.
TABLETS FOR PRINCIPALS IN PIPELINE
Vijay Kiran Anand, state project director of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, made a Power Point presentation of the Prerna app before newly appointed basic education minister Satish Dwivedi at a meeting on Monday.
Principals and head teachers of UP government-run primary and upper primary schools will be given tablets to upload photos on the Prerna app.
“To improvise the primary level education, it was decided to provide tablets to all the headmasters of approximately 1.59 lakh schools in the state,” he said.
With the help of tablets, teachers will be able to tell officials about the daily attendance of students and send photos of major activities during school hours, he said.
HOW THE APP WORKS
First, the principal or head teacher incharge will have to register on the Prerna app using a registered mobile number and generate a 4-digit PIN. After that, they can login using their mobile number and PIN.
“Screen will display the option of teachers’ attendance, prayer time attendance, MDM information and activities of school,” says Sadaf Kausar, assistant teacher at the Rakauli primary school in Mau district.
THUMBS UP BY SOME TEACHERS
Yatika Pundir, assistant teacher at the primary English medium school in Kamaalpur block of Rajpura, Meerut, says, “This app will truly help teachers highlight their day-long activities with students during school hours.”
“This app will establish the presence of primary school teachers and how regular they are in school. It will do away with the myth that government teachers draw a good salary and yet do not go to school,” says Jyoti Kumari, who teaches at the upper primary school at Koilara block, Aurai, in Bhadohi district.
