Pune: Starting December 2023, the state has implemented an online attendance system for students in grades one through ten across local self-government institutions, private aided, and partially aided schools.

However, due to the lack of clear instructions provided to principals and teachers, irregularities have emerged in the online recording process. In response, directives have been issued to address and review the online attendance recording system.

Rahul Rekhawar, Director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), has communicated through circulars to divisional education deputy directors, district council education officers, municipal administrative officers, and education inspectors. These circulars emphasize the need for a streamlined and efficient data collection and analysis process within the education sector.

The Vidya Samiksha Kendra has been established at SCERT to provide a unified platform for stakeholders, including policymakers and administrators, to plan activities and schemes at various levels based on analyzed data.

Despite the implementation of the "Smart Attendance" bot via the "Swift Chat" application for online attendance recording, it has been found that regional officers at the district level have not conducted regular reviews or provided the necessary instructions to principals and teachers. This has led to inconsistencies in the online recording of student attendance.

To rectify this issue, all principals and teachers have been instructed to use the Smart Attendance bot for recording student attendance online. Authorities have been directed to ensure the regularity of this practice and to review the process to maintain accurate attendance records.