A first: WhatsApp channel to connect Chandigarh teachers with top brass

In a first-of-its-type initiative, the Chandigarh Education Department has launched its official WhatsApp channel to connect with the teachers.

This will allow over 4,500 teachers working in 111 government schools across the Union Territory to interact directly with the senior officials of the department, including the Secretary and the Director.

The development assumes significance as this will end the present practice of running around the offices to meet and interact with the officials, which consumed a lot of time and energy of the teachers.

The Education Secretary, Prerna Puri, told The Tribune that this channel has been created to streamline communication, share official updates and foster collaborative implementation of educational reforms and digital initiatives in the schools here.

“It will be used for dissemination of verified circulars, updates and training resources besides sharing regular updates on the implementation of the School Management Information System (SMIS),” she disclosed.

Calling it a medium to facilitate transparent two-way communication with the heads of schools, teachers and cluster coordinators, Director, School Education, Harsuhinder Pal Singh Brar said this initiative will encourage the use of technology and data for evidence-based school management.

“We will celebrate milestones, recognise efforts and share success stories from schools through this channel, while connecting all teachers and the administrators at the click of a button — which will result in quicker and transparent decisions,” Brar revealed.

He said the Department of School Education is prioritising technology-first approach in school administration, teacher empowerment through digital capacity building, inclusive access to data for students and parents, real-time analytics for better planning and governance under Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK). The VSK is a data-driven initiative aimed at enhancing education quality through real-time monitoring and analysis usage.

“The proactive participation of the teachers will help build a robust, transparent, and efficient education system in Chandigarh. Let’s move from paperwork to purposeful digital progress together,” Brar added.

WILL SAVE TIME, CREATE TRUST

"Digital transformation in education is not just about systems but also empowering schools to make smarter decisions, saving valuable teaching time and creating an ecosystem of trust, efficiency and data-backed planning," said Prerna Puri, Education Secretary, Chandigarh.