Online attendance app glitch leaves Dharwad teachers in a fix

Hubballi: The school education department implemented online attendance for teachers and staff from June 1 to monitor punctuality, but technical glitches created hurdles for many.

The system was introduced to ensure teachers reached schools and office staff reported on time. The govt launched the Karnataka Advanced Attendance Management System (KAAMS) app, a GIS-enabled mobile application, for online attendance, but it failed to function smoothly. The department even issued notices to some teachers who could not submit attendance online.

With schools reopening on June 1, teachers in both urban and rural areas faced app failures, weak GPS signals, and login issues.

SM Hudedamani, deputy project coordinator of the department’s Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, said staff HRMS data had been linked to the app. However, linking errors and name mismatches caused difficulties. Around 4,000 teachers, including department staff, registered. “We have informed the head office about the issues. They will be resolved soon,” he said.

HM Fadneshi, block education officer, Hubballi, said nearly 25 teachers were not registered as they had been transferred from other schools. Their KGID numbers need correction, and the head office has been informed to complete their registration. He said the system aimed to ensure timely attendance.

Umesh Bommakkanavar, DDPI, Dharwad, said nearly 70% of teachers had registered and were marking attendance regularly. Others faced name mismatches between the app and Aadhaar records and were instructed to correct them. “The process is under way, and soon all teachers will mark attendance online,” he assured.

Ningappa Hadapad, former SDMC president, welcomed the system, saying it would help ensure discipline among teachers and curb absenteeism, urging all to come under its ambit soon.