Teachers are opposing the proposed installation of biometric attendance system and CCTV cameras at government junior colleges across the State and have demanded the government to drop the proposal.
Biometric attendance system for students
- Last date for tenders for installing biometric and CCTV cameras: Nov 30
- Lecturers’ body represented the issue with principal secretary and Commissioner,Intermediate education
- Project of biometric and CCTV camera is worth Rs 2 crore
- No money released for up-gradation of colleges ( Rs 5 crore) under free Intermediate education announcement
Alleging that these measures would deter students from attending college, the teachers sought to know the purpose of these initiatives. Government Junior College Lecturers Association president P Madhusudhan Reddy said that all positive steps of the State government towards improving standards at intermediate level would boomerang if it goes ahead with the proposed biometric attendance system in colleges.
He said that the average attendance of students at intermediate level in the State was about 60 per cent and that was based on socio-economic circumstances of the students. “It is quite impossible for every student to reach college in time and it will bring down their attendance percentage. They will not be eligible to appear in any examination,” he observed. Reddy said that while the average attendance was only 60 per cent, it goes down to 30 per cent during harvest time because most of the students find it difficult to attend colleges in rural areas, owing to their agriculture related compulsions.
According to sources there are 1.62 lakh students enrolled in 402 junior colleges spread across the State. There were 1.15 students during the last academic year. He alleged that there were vested interests behind the proposal of installing CCTVs and biometric attendance system and not reforms. Madhusudan Reddy said that after the State government has announced free intermediate education, the number of students enrolling in government colleges has increased.
However, he suggested to the State government to focus on providing basic amenities and facilities in junior colleges across the State. He informed that nearly 250 colleges do not have toilets and 75 colleges were functioning without sanctioned staff. Besides these, 50 per cent of the colleges do not have a compound wall. Intermediate Board does not allow a student to take exam if his attendance is below 75 per cent. He said, “biometric system is surely a detention policy. When the government is implementing non-detention policy at the school level, why can’t such a stand be taken at the intermediate level?”
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