Islamabad:Despite the introduction of a biometric system, Islamabad College for Boys, G-6/3 continues to rely on a parallel manual attendance sheet, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of both systems.
Instead of ensuring discipline, the dual mechanism has opened doors for misuse and irregularities, according to faculty members. They said staff members were required to record their presence in two ways: first by using the biometric machine, and then by signing a manual attendance sheet placed nearby.
The teachers expressed frustration over the "redundant practice," calling it a waste of time and paper. "The situation had become ridiculous and funny at the same time. It makes no sense to mark attendance on a biometric machine and then sign a paper sheet. This is sheer waste of resources," an associate professor told 'The News'.
However, more troubling is the alleged misuse of the system. Both the biometric device and the manual sheet are placed near the college’s main gate, allowing some teachers to mark their attendance without ever entering classrooms. Sources revealed that certain staff members signed in during the morning, disappeared for hours and returned to take their class or simply signed out alongside colleagues who spent full duty hours inside the institution.
They noted that the loophole had made it almost impossible for the administration to determine whether teachers are actually present on campus. “Both systems have practically failed to check absenteeism. Nobody knows if the teachers are inside the college or back home after marking attendance,” a professor said.
He insisted that ineffective monitoring undermined the educational environment and sends the wrong message to students. An official at the college regulator Federal Directorate of Education, too, agreed that the parallel use of biometric system, introduced to curb exactly such issues, with a manual sheet made no sense. Teachers emphasised that a single, centralised biometric attendance system, linked with daily monitoring by FDE, would ensure greater staff accountability.
