Teachers demand Govt to discontinue the use of Ubiattendance app

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 19, 2023

School teachers in East Jaintia Hills District on Monday decided to strongly oppose the implementation of the Ubiattendance website/app citing that it is not being maintained by the state education department. 

The decision was taken at a joint meeting held between the Jaintia Hills Lower Primary School Teachers Association (JHLPSTA) Khliehriat Unit and Meghalaya SSA Schools Association (MSSASA) East Jaintia Hills District Unit.

“(We) resolved to strongly oppose the implementation of Ubiattendance website/app and resolved that teachers will continue not to use the website/app as a mark of protest and disagreement,” the two organizations said in a letter to the district deputy commissioner Abhilash Baranwal.

They also added, “We are very clear with our stand that we are not against the initiatives taken to improve the education system at the district level in particular and the state in general but we are against the use of website/app owned and managed by a private firm and not by the department of education. Therefore, we humbly request your good self to discontinue the implementation of the Ubiattendance website/app.”

The two organizations further questioned the decision of the district administration to implement the privately owned website/app despite the recent announcement made by the education minister Rakkam A Sangma that the state government would soon come up with a central system named “Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK)” for implementation across the state.

“…if state government is in a process to come up with VSK then why the office of the Deputy Commissioner East Jaintia Hills District is in a hurry to implement the Ubiattendance website/app in the district why not wait for the VKS to come into force,” they said while further asking “If Ubiattendance website/app is not implemented in other districts of the State to track the attendance of teachers then why only in East Jaintia Hills district.”