Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Amid resistance from teachers over mandatory e-attendance, the Madhya Pradesh school education department has directed all principals and headmasters to compulsorily mark their attendance through the Hamare Shikshak App.
The directive comes after it was found that many teachers are not using the app simply because their institutional heads aren’t doing so either.
In an official order issued to all District Education Officers (DEOs), Director of Public Instruction (DPI) K.K. Dwivedi said principals of government high and higher secondary schools, and headmasters of primary and middle schools, must begin using the app without exception.
“As the heads of institutions are not marking e-attendance, the teachers in their schools are also not doing so,” said Dwivedi.
For over two months now, the department has been trying to get all teachers—regular, contractual and guest—to record their attendance through the app.
Teachers have pushed back, citing several hurdles. These include lack of smartphones, patchy mobile networks in rural areas, app bugs that mis-record location and privacy concerns.
Some have alleged that the app is operated by a US-based company with nationals from China, Pakistan and Bangladesh in key positions, raising questions over data safety.
A government school teacher said a separate module has now been created for school in-charges and most teachers have now started using the app.
