Mayawati Urges Focus on Teacher Recruitment & School Facilities Over Digital Attendance System

LUCKNOW, 16 July 2024 – Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati criticized the newly launched digital attendance system for teachers, urging the BJP-led state government to prioritize hiring adequate teachers and improving basic facilities in Uttar Pradesh government schools.

Digital Attendance System Criticized: Most Important Points

BSP Chief Mayawati: Criticized the newly implemented digital attendance system for teachers.
Need for Teacher Recruitment and School Facilities: Emphasized that improving education quality in Uttar Pradesh requires hiring more teachers and enhancing basic school facilities.
Date: 16 July 2024.
Location: Uttar Pradesh.
Objective: To ensure high-quality education in government schools.
Criticism of Government Approach: Argued that the BJP-led state government’s focus on digital solutions is superficial and detracts from addressing fundamental educational issues.
Opposition from Teachers: Noted that the digital attendance system, implemented hastily, faces significant opposition from teachers.
Government Announcement: The Yogi Adityanath government announced the digital attendance system and other digitization initiatives in June, to be implemented statewide from July 15.
System Details: The digital attendance system requires teachers and students to mark their attendance using a face recognition system on tablets.
Broader Concerns: Highlighted the lack of essential facilities in schools, including clean drinking water and functional toilets, and the need for adequate budgetary provisions to address these issues.

In a recent post on X, Mayawati highlighted the hurried implementation of the digital attendance system, claiming it lacked proper preparation. She emphasized that quality education in government schools requires more than just digital systems. “Due to the acute lack of essential basic facilities in government schools of Uttar Pradesh, complaints of their poor conditions have been common,” she said. “Instead of making appropriate budgetary provisions to properly address these serious issues, the government is merely engaging in superficial actions to divert attention from them. Is this appropriate?”

Mayawati argued that the new digital attendance system, which mandates both teachers and students to mark their attendance using a face recognition system on tablets, was imposed hastily. “What is much more important is the proper and adequate recruitment of teachers along with the development of basic facilities to ensure high-quality education,” she stated.

The Yogi Adityanath government had announced in June its plans to digitize all 12 types of registers in schools across the state, including implementing a digital attendance system for both teachers and students starting July 15.

The digital attendance system faced significant opposition from teachers, who believe that addressing more fundamental issues such as teacher recruitment and the provision of basic amenities should take precedence. “The digital attendance system for teachers seems to be another new step by the government that has been imposed hastily without proper preparation,” Mayawati added.

Detailed Event Coverage

Mayawati’s remarks have sparked a broader discussion on the priorities for improving education in Uttar Pradesh. She argued that without adequate infrastructure and sufficient teaching staff, digital solutions alone would not solve the fundamental issues plaguing the state’s educational system.

“Due to the acute lack of essential basic facilities in government schools of Uttar Pradesh, complaints of their poor conditions have been common,” Mayawati stated.

“Instead of making appropriate budgetary provisions to properly address these serious issues, the government is merely engaging in superficial actions to divert attention from them. Is this appropriate?” she questioned.

Mayawati’s statement calls attention to the long-standing issues within Uttar Pradesh’s educational infrastructure. With classrooms often lacking basic amenities such as clean drinking water, functional toilets, and proper seating arrangements, the push for digital attendance systems seems to many as a misplaced priority.

Data Statistics

According to recent surveys, a significant number of government schools in Uttar Pradesh lack basic facilities, with nearly 40% of schools reporting inadequate sanitation and 30% facing a shortage of teaching staff. These deficiencies highlight the urgent need for comprehensive educational reforms beyond digital solutions.

Education Reforms Requiring Balance

The controversy over the digital attendance system began when the Yogi Adityanath government announced the digitization initiative. This plan aimed to streamline administrative processes in schools by digitizing various registers and implementing a face recognition-based attendance system for students and teachers.

Mayawati’s criticism underscores a broader concern regarding the allocation of resources in the education sector. By focusing on technology-driven solutions, the government risks neglecting fundamental issues that directly impact the quality of education and learning conditions for students.

Mayawati’s call for prioritizing teacher recruitment and basic facilities over digital attendance systems highlights the need for a more balanced approach to educational reforms. Addressing core infrastructural and staffing issues is essential to achieving high-quality education in Uttar Pradesh’s government schools.