Punjab Govt Teachers Union opposes attendance via M-Star app, calls it violation of privacy

Teachers have condemned the Punjab Education Department’s decision to mark attendance through the M-Star app, terming it a direct violation of the constitutional right to privacy. They said that location tracking through the app is an attack on the personal freedom of teachers.

Teachers of the Union said the teachers of Punjab are performing their duty with great dedication and honesty, but instead of trusting them, the department is imposing such complicated methods.

Union leader Tirath Singh Bassi said, hundreds of posts of principal, headmaster and BPOs are vacant in the state, due to which the administrative structure is already affected. The leaders said there is no clear provision in the app for recording the attendance of computer teachers who are posted on deputation and move from one school to another.

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Similarly, the department also has no answer on how teachers posted on BLO, Census and other external duties will record their attendance.

Union press secretary Karnail Phillaur said due to such decisions, teachers are going through immense mental distress and confusion. The union also expressed deep grief over the tragic accident, in which a teacher died and teacher leader Deepak Kamboj was seriously injured. The Government Teachers Union has demanded immediate financial assistance of Rs 1 crore from the government for the family of the deceased teacher, along with full coverage of the medical expenses of the injured teacher.

The leaders said teachers are already burdened with excessive non-academic work and urged the government to trust school principals and officials instead of introducing technical hurdles. Demanding the withdrawal of attendance through M-Star, they said it it’s not withdrawn soon, then the union will be forced to launch a fierce struggle.

Demanding the withdrawal of attendance through the M-Star app, they said that if it is not withdrawn soon, the union will be forced to launch a fierce struggle.

Rajesh Amloh from Fatehgarh Sahib, Dharminder Singh Bhangu from Ropar, Pritpal Chotala from Hoshiarpur, Jasvir Talwara, Sukhwinder Makkar from Jalandhar, Judge Pal Baje from Moga, Dildar Bhandal from Gurdaspur, among others, were also present.