Dear Editor,
I heap accolades on Sonia Parag, Minister of Education, for announcing the implementation of Biometric Systems, in an effort to improve accountability in the education sector, particularly at the levels of Primary and Secondary. Like she said, it is not about punishing teachers, and on this note, I quickly iterate, that even if it is about ‘punishing’ teachers, it begs the question of ‘why’. It means, in all likelihood, if there is a ‘fear’ factor, it is simply because teachers, even if just a few, are guilty of some sort of professional misconduct that must be dealt with.
In support of Minister Parag, and by way of informing, I remind all that both students and teachers need to be ‘live’ in class, to maximise learning. This is obvious, but never really checked upon in terms of finding out the effect when this ‘norm’ is not adhered to. For example, a recent survey revealed that over six million students in athe United States (i.e., one in every eight) missed more than 15 days of school, during the 2013–14 school year. Further, attendance data shows that 27.0% of teachers (i.e., one in every four) missed more than 10 days of school within the same year, with this percentage going as high as 49.0% and 75.0%, in Nevada and Hawaii, respectively (U.S. Department of Education, 2016).
So, we all need to absorb the reality that when students and teachers are absent from school, regardless of the reasons for these absences, it presents significant barriers to equitable and effective instruction, undermining stable learning environments and inhibiting student success—the implications of which can be profoundly detrimental and far-reaching. I add further that the body of literature out there, clearly shows that teacher absenteeism significantly disrupts student learning, leading to lower academic achievement—particularly in math and reading—and increased behavioral issues. Frequent absences break instructional continuity, often resulting in unassigned work or less qualified substitutes. Ten, or more, absences in a year can significantly reduce student performance.
The Ministry of Education therefore is doing the right thing, that is “moving ahead with the introduction of biometric attendance systems for schools.” She expressly stated that “… the initiative is aimed at strengthening accountability and improving learning outcomes rather than penalizing teachers.” She also pointed out that the whole thing will not be ‘overnight’ and that it will be ‘uniform’ in order to put all school on the same playing field. Already “… the ministry has issued standard specifications to guide schools in procuring biometric systems, ensuring compatibility and durability,” since the equipment must be compatible with the Education Management Information System (EMIS). Also of good note is that “… where schools are unable to finance the system, the ministry may provide support to ensure a uniform implementation process.”
I repeat, that this is the way to go, as education is vital and there must be accountability, if not too much will be wasted in finance and personnel. I mean, since “… teachers (are already signing) in and out manually and their professional responsibilities extend beyond classroom hours to tasks such as planning and administrative duties…” then simplifying the process and making it foolproof should be welcomed. In fact, I love the way she prefaced everything, explaining that “… significant public investment in education must be matched by improved outcomes, noting that absenteeism or lost teaching time undermines efforts to raise matriculation rates and student performance…. we can’t, as a nation, speak about wanting matriculation rates to be better… and then you’re not seeing the results.”
Editor and Readers, biometric technology provides administrators with irrefutable proof of attendance for accurate and auditable reporting. In addition, administrators can be provided with period-by-period attendance records in real-time, quickly identifying teachers and students who are not in the appropriate classrooms. In this modern era, the integration of technology into the educational environment has become standard, driven by social changes and the diverse demands of the education sector. Gone are the days of manual attendance tracking, as this is too prone to vulnerabilities, such as signature fraud, where one person signs in on behalf of another. Biometrics eliminates these weaknesses by identifying individuals in an automated and precise manner, ensuring that only authenticated persons are counted.