New Delhi: In an attempt to keep a check on teachers bunking classes, the education committee of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has proposed the introduction of biometric attendance system for its teachers from the next financial year. The proposal was presented by NDMC’s education committee chairman Mamta Nagpal while presenting the budget proposal of the committee for the next fiscal year.
Ms Nagpal proposed that from the next financial year 2017-18, biometric attendance system must be introduced to register attendance of the teachers. “With the help of information technology, installation of biometric attendance should be made a priority to ensure that teachers mark their attendance through biometric system,” added Ms Nagpal.
At present, attendance records are maintained manually. It had been alleged last year that due to the lack of a stringent attendance facility, teachers were found missing from classes during school hours.
In another major step to ensure the security of small children studying in its municipal schools, Ms Nagpal proposed installation of CCTV cameras in all the 719 municipal schools in its jurisdiction. “The process of installation of CCTV cameras can be started with 30 model school of the corporation and later on all the schools should be covered under electronic surveillance,” said Ms Nagpal.
Earlier this year, in an attempt to increase efficiency of its teachers, the NDMC banned the use of mobile phone in classroom. The decision was taken after it came to the notice of the education department of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation that several teachers were regularly found talking on mobile phones in the classroom. Teachers were advised to use the school’s or principal’s phone in case of emergencies.
“Teachers are advised to give the principal’s or the school’s phone number to their family to contact them in case of any emergency. In certain cases of emergencies, they can carry a mobile phone with them in silent mode in their classes even without the permission of the principal,” Ms Nagpal had earlier told this newspaper.
