Online Presence of Teacher: The issue of online attendance of teachers is once again in discussion. At present, online attendance of teachers has not started in Uttar Pradesh yet. Meanwhile, the Bihar government has given instructions to implement online attendance of teachers from 01 October 2024. Along with this, strict instructions have been given to those teachers that if there is no online attendance on the e Shikshakosh mobile app, then salary will not be made. S Siddharth, Additional Chief Secretary of Bihar Education Department, turned out to be even stricter than KK Pathak. S Siddharth has issued strict instructions to implement online attendance last Tuesday (27 August 2024). Now, however, after the protest of teachers in UP, the decision of this online attendance has been postponed for the time being. Now it remains to be seen whether what could not happen in UP will be able to happen in Bihar.
What were the rules for online attendance of teachers in UP?
Actually, the digital attendance system updates real-time data, which can be seen by the education department officials. This makes it easier to keep track of attendance on time and take necessary steps. In Uttar Pradesh, an order was issued by the Director General of School Education on July 5, 2024. Under this order, online attendance was made mandatory for teachers of all schools of the Basic Education Council from July 8, 2024. For online attendance, when the school opened at 8 am, teachers had to take their photo from the tablet and upload it on the Prerna app between 7.30 and 7.45 am. This app remained active at this time and was enabled for attendance only when they were in the school premises.
Why opposition to online attendance?
However, teachers opposed this order and boycotted online attendance. Teachers opposed it on the basis of many things. Some teachers said that there are practical problems like bad roads, waterlogging in schools due to rain. In such a situation, it is difficult to give online attendance. Also, some teachers also talked about technical faults in this app and tablet, due to which their attendance was not recorded on time and there was a fear of salary deduction. Even after a lot of efforts in UP, the figure of online attendance could not cross one percent. For this reason, on July 17, 2024, the government postponed the order of online attendance for two months. An order has been issued by the Chief Secretary to stop digital attendance for the time being.
What will change according to the rules of Bihar Government?
, S Siddharth, Additional Chief Secretary of Bihar Education Department has said that from October 1, only those teachers will be paid whose application has online attendance. The new order also states that all teachers will update their application on September 1. New options have been added regarding attendance.
, The education department has given the option of school admin in this app. With this, the principal can also record the attendance of those teachers who do not mark their attendance through the mobile app themselves.
, In Bihar, online attendance is being adopted in government schools with the objective of improving the quality of education. If a teacher leaves school, he or she will have to give information about it on this app.
, If a teacher wants to take leave, he will first have to take permission from the principal, only after that he will be able to apply through e-Shikshakosh mobile app.
, If a teacher has to go out for school work, then in such a situation a separate attendance option is provided on the mobile app. One can apply on the mobile app to go out of school only after the permission of the principal.
, After creating the online attendance and uploading the school leaving time, there will be no need for any inspection team from the education department to visit the school.
, This app will work only within 500 meters of the school.
, Selfie feature has been added to this app. Whenever the teacher logs in, the first option will be to take a selfie. Attendance can be recorded only after this.
What is your opinion on online attendance in Bihar?
After the order of the education department, reactions have started coming on the online attendance of teachers. A user on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) wrote, ‘Attendance should be online and leave application should be in written form. The officials of the education department and the rules and regulations they make are amazing.’ Another user demanded posting of all teachers in their home districts along with online attendance. The user wrote, ‘Post all teachers in their home districts so that the teaching work is not adversely affected. This will enable all teachers to register their attendance on #e_shikshakoshapp on time every day.’
Another user also welcomed the online attendance of teachers but raised the issue of rational deployment of teachers. ‘X’ wrote, ‘Making online attendance compulsory is not an issue, it should be done, but do it by rationally transferring the teacher. You have posted a female teacher in an area where there is no transport facility. She has to cross the Kosi river and walk 8-10 kilometers. Make the deployment rational.’
Let us tell you that from June 25, the Education Department had instructed the teachers and principals to mark their attendance every day through the e Shikshakosh mobile app from June 25, 2024. After this instruction, only about 80 percent of the headmasters and teachers are marking their attendance online through this app.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)