To keep a tab on the number of dropouts from state-run schools, the Maharashtra government has decided to go the selfie way — school teachers will soon have to upload classroom selfies, each comprising a group of 10 students marking their attendance.
According to a government resolution (GR) released by the state education department on Thursday, selfies along with Aadhaar numbers and name of students have to be uploaded on the SARAL system that handles education database for the state government. The initiative will be implemented from January 2017 where every selfie would comprise 10 students. It is aimed at creating a record of the students who are not regular to schools, the GR added.
Teachers will have to upload the selfies of all the students on the first two Mondays from January 2017.
The teachers will also have to inform the higher authorities in the education department about irregular students. The whole idea is to help the education department take decisions to bring dropouts back to school. The state education department has also identified two categories due to which students’ dropout of school. “It is when families migrate within the state and when families shift base to Maharashtra. In both the cases some students get dropped out, the GR said.
The GR has also asked the parents, who are shifting base within the state to make alternate arrangements for their school-going children so that they do not lose track.
The children can stay with their grandparents or in temporary hostels. It will be the responsibility of the schools to find out such students, upload their information on SARAL and communicate it to education commissioner and principal secretary of the education department.
On the other hand, if some students have to move, then ‘Education Guarantee Card’, should be issued to them. It can be sent to the school administration through WhatsApp, where the student is being shifted, the GR stated.
