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The University of Delhi is planning to introduce an app-based attendance system in order to bring transparency. A pilot test run was being conducted in a few colleges, however, it received backlash from the teacher’s.

Recently news broke regarding the digitisation of attendance at the University of Delhi that is to be done via an application based system that will help students track their attendance in real time. The colleges where the beta testing was underway are Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, Lakshmibai College, Shivaji College and Aryabhatta College. However, this system received criticism from many teachers of the colleges.

In a press release on Friday, the Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA) called this a “mindless experiment” stressing on the fact that the university failed to take into account the cost and feasibility. This discussion regarding the rejection of the app-based attendance system took place in a DUTA Executive meeting held on 22 December 2017.

In the meeting, the relevance of the prevailing attendance system was discussed, highlighting its positive aspects and calling it a satisfactory arrangement. “There is no special/additional advantage to students if attendance is uploaded on an hourly/daily basis. It, however, certainly increases time and effort of teachers towards it. Over-focus on attendance cannot help towards raising quality. Rather, it will lead to mechanisation and over-regulation. The DUTA also fears that this hourly based monitoring will be used for surveillance and will become a handle to victimize teachers.” the press release stated. Miranda House teacher Abha Dev Habib told Indian Express, “In a few colleges where the app was implemented, teachers still kept paper records because of fear of data loss.”

DUTA also blamed the central authorities of Delhi University for undermining the role of Statutory Bodies and emphasized that the university lacks focus when it comes to the real issues that confront the university today. DUTA deems the university spends “efforts and resources on a change which has no real bearing on the quality of education”. In the press release, DUTA claimed to engage with students and take joint action against the implementation of such a system.

 

Feature Image Credits: Indian Express

Bhavya Banerjee

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