Pune: A digital attendance system has been introduced in civic schools to tackle student absenteeism, starting with one on Sinhagad Road on a pilot basis.The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials said that under the new system, students’ attendance would be recorded online, with parents receiving updates.Officials also said a number of initiatives had been taken to promote education in municipal schools. These include scholarships to encourage students to pursue further studies. Financial aid helps them procure special equipment and educational material. The funds are transferred directly into the accounts of the students.Nonetheless, despite measures taken, the number of students absent from schools remains high regularly.The PMC’s education department runs 250 schools, imparting education in various mediums, including Marathi, English, Urdu and Kannada. Around 1 lakh students, mostly from socially and financially weaker sections of the society, are enrolled. As many as 1,800 teachers are part of the system.A senior official of the PMC’s education department said, “The administration will roll out the online attendance system in a phased manner in other schools. The department will train principals, teachers and administrative staff to handle the platform effectively.”The official said the education department would focus on bringing students back to schools. The dropout rate among students is high in municipal schools and the new attendance system is expected to help curb it.Corporator Komal Navale said, “The system will facilitate accurate and prompt recording of student attendance, control absenteeism and foster greater dialogue between parents, teachers and the administration. Consequently, transparency in the education system will improve.”
