News Reporter
Guwahati, Assam - October 01, 2023
Assam's Education Minister, Ranoj Pegu, has unveiled a significant initiative aimed at fostering transparency and accountability within the state's education system. Effective from October 3, the mandatory use of the Shiksha Setu portal is set to revolutionize the way teacher attendance is monitored and recorded.
The Shiksha Setu portal, a technological innovation designed to streamline educational processes, has been embraced as a pivotal tool to improve the educational landscape in Assam. Minister Pegu underscored the portal's importance and issued a stern warning, signaling investigative actions against those failing to comply with this new mandate.
Currently, the portal boasts a comprehensive database, featuring 44,735 registered schools across the state, and encompasses a workforce of 2,35,387 teachers and staff members. Impressively, 2,13,685 educational professionals have already been integrated into the portal's system.
However, the Shiksha Setu portal extends its functionality beyond teacher attendance tracking. It also serves as a robust repository for student data, with an impressive 46,07,558 students registered out of a total student population of 47,96,980. Minister Pegu underlined the invaluable role this portal will play in effectively monitoring student attendance, thereby enhancing the overall educational experience.
To ensure the seamless implementation of the portal, each school has been equipped with tablets featuring 4GB RAM. Additionally, schools with larger student populations have been provided with extra tablets.
Minister Pegu made it abundantly clear that the primary objective of this initiative is to enhance school management and bolster educational outcomes. He reassured stakeholders that there are no technical glitches within the app or server, emphasizing that teacher attendance will be automatically tracked once a photograph is uploaded via the app.
While acknowledging the unique educational challenges faced by districts such as Nagaon and Hailakandi, Minister Pegu expressed optimism regarding increased enrollment in government schools in the upcoming academic year.
However, the implementation of the Shiksha Setu portal has uncovered concerning trends related to student attendance in government and provincialized schools across Assam. According to the portal's data, Assam is home to a staggering 48,42,383 students, with approximately 94 percent (45,63,854 students) attending 44,507 schools.
Troubling disparities in student attendance are evident across various districts. While Karbi Anglong, Udalguri, Barpeta, Baksa, Sivasagar, Morigaon, Dima Hasao, Cachar, Karimganj, Charaideo, South Salmara-Mankachar, Tinsukia, Udalguri, and West Karbi Anglong consistently report below-average attendance rates, districts such as Nalbari, Bongaigaon, Dhemaji, Darrang, Nagaon, Biswanath, and Dibrugarh display more promising student attendance figures. Even Kamrup (M) and Kamrup districts face challenges related to student attendance.
The portal's data reveals that student attendance reached as low as 48 percent on September 20, with gradual improvements observed in the following days, culminating in 62.1 percent attendance on September 28. Despite these improvements, more than one-third of students were still reported absent from school.
An intriguing correlation is apparent in the data, with districts that perform well in the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) and Higher Secondary (HS) examinations demonstrating superior student attendance. Addressing the persistently high dropout rate is imperative to improve educational outcomes and reduce absenteeism in Assam. This comprehensive initiative, spearheaded by Minister Pegu, marks a pivotal step towards achieving these critical goals.