Schools to have biometric machines to check skivers

Islamabad

The Federal Directorate of Education has planned the introduction of biometric attendance system at Islamabad Capital Territory’s (ICT) all government schools and colleges in order to check the growing staff absenteeism.

The ICT has over 400 educational institutions overseen by the FDE, whose administrative and financial control is with the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD).

According to an official in the know, there’re growing complaints of school and college staff members, mostly teachers, skipping duty often and therefore, the FDE has decided it will install fingerprint biometric machines on all such campuses to ensure staff attendance at workplace to the benefit of students.

“In surprise visits to schools and colleges, especially those in rustic areas, we find many staff members to be absent (during duty period), so we strongly feel the introduction of this biometric attendance system will ensure that such employees are present on campus during work shift,” he said.

The official insisted 432 biometric attendance machines would be installed at 401 FDE educational institutions and that they would be procured from authorised manufacturers or dealers selected after proper bidding and scrutiny.

He said the schools and colleges would file the bio-metric attendance machine records with the FDE on monthly basis for examination and action against absentee staff members.

The official claimed the introduction of new attendance system at schools was part of the education reforms underway in the capital city with the prime minister’s daughter, Maryam Nawaz, ‘watching and directing’ them through some local MNAs, including CADD minister.

Ironically, the initiative hasn’t sit well with many teachers, who feel it will distress them and thus, adversely impacting on their efficiency.

Claiming to be doing duty regularly and dutifully, they said instead of attendance, the academic performance of their students, especially in exams, should be used to judge their commitment to work.

“The move (bio-metric machine installation) manifests a lack of trust on part of the FDE bosses in us. I’m sure it will do no good to the cause of education,” a schoolteacher stressed.

Some teachers said the FDE should address the root causes of absenteeism like manpower shortage, absence of facilities, low salary, and lack of growth incentives before expecting of staff members to remain on campus all through work shift and do duty diligently.