LUCKNOW: In order to ensure presence of teachers after receiving a number of complaints of proxy attendance in schools especially government primary schools, the Uttar Pradesh government is set to launch a mobile phone app -- 'Prerna' app – to make the teachers mark their attendance by clicking a selfie with students while being in school.
However, the initiative has hit a roadblock after teachers association has raised objections to it, saying it amounted to infringement of women's privacy. The apex body of government primary school teachers is all set to launch a statewide agitation against the ‘app’ on September 4, as Yogi Adityanath government plans to launch it on September 5 to ensure that teachers and students attend school regularly.
The Prathmik Shikshak Sangh has contended that the mobile app would put the privacy of women teaches at stake and that it is the violation of their fundamental right. The women teachers said that they were not sure, their photos could be misused.
In fact, the app requires a teacher to click a selfie thrice a day with their students and forward it to the officials concerned. "The photographs of female teachers can be leaked and misused, jeopardising their lives. This is a breach of their right to privacy. Who will take the responsibility if their photographs are misused?" asked Sushil Kumar Pandey, state President of the Sangh.
"These days one hears of photographs being morphed. Moreover, it is not a very practical idea to click a selfie with students as a mark of attendance. The internet services are erratic and how can one be marked absent just because he or she has not uploaded a selfie?" asked a government primary school teacher in Lucknow.
Moreover, the teachers also believed that decision to mark attendance through selfie was taken in a hurry and it should be revoked. “It is also not practical. They must ensure availability of android phones, electricity for charging and paid Internet before implementing this order,” said Pandey.