Indian Ministry of Education Turns to IIT Guwahati to Cut Back on Hooky, Improve Education
As a workforce management solution, the Indian Ministry of Education has turned to biometrics and the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) for help.
IIT Guwahati has been tasked to purchase biometric punching machines which will be for attendance monitoring of all staff at learning facilities from primary schools up to colleges with the exception of Universities. Universities are autonomous institutes and therefore need administrators to sign off on the project for them to upgrade their attendance checking systems individually.
This decision was reached after a meeting of the Association of College Teachers rejected the plan to install electronic attendance checking devices and closed circuit television systems on campus. By having a separate body purchase and install these biometric machines, the question of potential manipulation will be put aside. Earlier this year, the Delhi High Court requested submissions on public interest litigation, seeking to introduce a biometric attendance system for university instructors.
The introduction of closed circuit television system in the campus was proposed after reports that most teachers failed to meet the required minimum 6.5 hours on campus, affecting the quality of education tremendously.
This project includes the replacement of previously installed systems and the estimated date of completion is December of this year. The use of these machines will be compulsory and teachers may face mandated consequences if they refuse to comply.
What do you think? Will this new wave of biometric attendance-checking improve education?
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