Once again, the government of Nagaland is making an attempt to address the key issues that have been plaguing the Education department for decades – proxy attendance. The Directorate of School Education (DoSE) has announced that the implementation of a mobile application called SMILE (Smart attendance Management and Informative Leaves) in all government schools and establishments under DoSE across the state will start on February 1, 2025, to “promote efficient administrative practices, improve data-driven decision-making, and foster a culture of accountability and transparency in the education system”. All teachers and staff have been asked to mark their attendance daily using the SMILE app kiosk at their respective schools and establishments. This directive came nearly a year after the department introduced the SMILE app for the Teacher Attendance Monitoring System (TAMS) at 74 schools (in two educational blocks) in the first phase and then in three districts – Dimapur, Kohima and Phek – in the second phase. It is a commendable move to weed out the mess in the department and take stringent action against the erring employees, including termination. But the big question remains- can the government bell the cat? It is easier said than done for more reasons than one.
The state government is very much aware of the issue but it seems to be at its wits end. In 2016, then Minister of School Education and SCERT had warned teachers of termination and initiating a criminal case if found keeping substitutes to attend to their duties at schools after June 30. The issue remains even after nearly nine years. Successive governments too have tried to address the issue but fall short of taking stringent action. People are frustrated but they are either in the system or don’t want to get into the bad books of someone they know. In short, the problem we face today, in all departments, is our own making, which is why it is all the more difficult to eradicate it. But we have to start somewhere to break this vicious circle. So, the smart-attendance system is a good move to start with. What is required is a collective effort. The SMILE app, which boasts advanced technology like facial recognition, timestamping, and geofencing for marking attendance and recording leave applications, will help bring smiles to the faces of children, especially the underprivileged, only if there is public support and political will. Slow internet speed or lack of it will also render the technology useless. The concerned authorities should set a precedent by penalising errant employees. A similar app or biometric machines should be installed in all government offices to eliminate absenteeism.