SMS monitoring of mid-day meal stirs controversy

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, July 24

The introduction of SMS-based automated system for daily monitoring of the mid-day meal scheme in government and government-aided schools, despite ban on mobile phones during duty hours, has stirred up a controversy.

Teachers across the state have submitted a memorandum to the Director General School Education (DGSE), Punjab, demanding revocation of the system, introduced on July 11.

The teachers said in December 2014, the DGSE, Punjab, had banned the use of mobile phones during duty hours in schools and warned them of strict disciplinary action for violation of this direction.

Now, in contravention to these directions, the DGSE himself ordered the teachers to send the daily attendance of students during the mid-day meal to telephone number -51969.

“When the use of mobile phones is banned in government schools, how can teachers send SMS,” said Gurpreet Singh Randhawa, president of the Master Cadre Union in Faridkot.

“Every SMS will cost Rs 3 to a teacher. It is an unnecessary burden on us,” said Prem Chawla, a teachers’ union leader in Faridkot.

Pardeep Agarwal, DGSE, Punjab, said the monitoring system was introduced on the directions of the Government of India. “This system has been introduced all over the country, so teachers in the state should cooperate with the department,” he added.

On the restriction on use of mobile phones in schools, the DGSE said limited use of the device was allowed. Besides, SMS was to be sent by the head teacher or the incharge of the mid-day meal scheme. He said another alternative number had been provided to the schools to send SMS at lower rates.

However, in the memorandum, teachers said they were already keeping a written record of the scheme and now the work of sending SMSes to the education authorities had doubled the work.

The DGSE said after proper working of the SMS system there would be no need to maintain the written record. However, the schools have to wait for at least a month for the success of the new system before stopping writing the details.