Get Instant Loan up to ₹10 Lakh!
The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) has developed a mechanism that will help government schools track students' attendance and take measures in case they are absent for long durations.
This early warning system can help prevent incidences of dropouts and also aid children in case they are in a high-risk situation, as per officials.
How will the system work?
According to DCPCR chairman Anurag Kundu, the system will send an SMS to the parents of the child who is absent for more than seven days at a stretch or whose attendance is merely 30% in a month.
The SMS will convey the message that the school is missing the student and waiting for them to return.
The next day, the parents would receive an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) call where a recorded message will urge the student to go back to school.
On the third day, the parents will receive a call from the teacher, inquiring about the reason for the child’s prolonged absence from school. After learning about the reason, the teacher will key in detail in the portal.
The child will be provided assistance by the school and in case the reason is major, for instance, the death of a parent or both the parents, the DCPCR and other bodies will step in for assisting the child.
Need for the system
Kundu said they started working on this project in October and it was supposed to be rolled out in April but the second wave of coronavirus deferred their plans.
He explained that if a child is absent for a prolonged period, it is an indicator that they are facing a huge crisis at home which is affecting their studies.
The crisis may be loss of income of parents, early marriage, child labour, illness of parents, disability, etc, he said.
This system will detect the early sign, which is long duration of absence from school, and help the authorities to work on it before the situation gets worse, he added.
Till now, 250 principals across two districts have undergone an orientation programme on the system. The system is going to keep a track of the physical classes.
With inputs from agencies.
Catch all theBusiness News,Education News,Breaking NewsEvents andLatest News Updates on Live Mint. Download TheMint News App to get Daily Market Updates