Biometric attendance for teachers approved

Express Tribune

17-03-2025

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, while presiding over a review meeting on school education, emphasised the importance of foundational learning and early childhood care & education (ECCE).
He approved the decentralisation of financial and administrative powers to the school level for headmasters and supported the dissolution of additional or duplicate posts for town officers, District Education Officers (DEOs), and directors stressed the importance of digitizing the education department.
This digitisation will involve monitoring and evaluation (M&E) processes, such as tracking attendance for teachers and students using facial recognition technology. Additionally, there will be an effort to eliminate unnecessary administrative layers from the taluka to the divisional level.
A significant emphasis will be placed on technical education and skill development through initiatives like Middle Tech and Matric Tech.
Enrolment Statistics
The CM was informed that there are 40,990 schools in the province, which include 36,300 primary schools, 2,600 elementary schools, 1,600 secondary schools, and 490 higher secondary schools. Current enrollment across all schools stands at 5.2 million, comprising approximately 3.09 million boys.
Model Schools
The CM has decided to transform existing high schools into model schools, establishing four model schools in each taluka to enhance the quality of education. By the 2025-26 academic year, approximately 150 schools will be developed as model institutions, with a total of 600 schools expected to be transformed by the end of the 2028-29 academic year.
Missing Facilities
The CM noted many schools lack basic facilities like water, sanitation, and solar power. He approved empowering headmasters through school-specific budgets and upgrading 1,600 primary schools to secondary level with essential amenities.