The government schools in the Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh will now witness their teachers clicking selfies in front of their classrooms to mark their attendance. The system is expected to solve the issue of ‘ghost teachers’, an old practice wherein teachers sublet their jobs to others, often less qualified. In addition, teachers found surfing social-media sites while on duty, that is, during school hours, will also have to face cuts in their salaries.
The new rule requires teachers to upload their selfies before 8 a.m. on the webpage of the Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA). If they fail to do so before 8 in the morning, they will have to forego a day’s pay.
This rule came into effect before the summer vacations, and already more than 700 teachers have lost a day’s salary.
The education department officials are sure of the fact that the system will help to bring to an end the practice of ghost teachers. In many government schools, the teachers are known to sublet their jobs to others, who are often much less qualified, for a price. These underqualified teachers also mark the attendance for the original teachers. The practice has been rampant in the state of Uttar Pradesh for years now, and it is only because the principals are also hand in glove, and receive a share of the money that is exchanged.
Depending on the success rate of the system, the same will be implemented in the schools of other districts too. Such steps will go a long way in improving the standard of education imparted in the government schools.
The whole system of posting selfies and verifying them is being strictly implemented under the aegis of the chief minister and the education minister.
The teachers, however, have already begun to give excuses of traffic jams, irregularity of public transport and poor internet connectivity that act as hurdles in uploading the selfies on time.
