The Unique Identification number (Aadhaar)-based staff fixation under the teacher’s package introduced by the State government is likely to be first implemented in the district, thanks to the near total enrolment of students in government and aided schools here.
Of the 3 lakh-odd students, more than 99 per cent have been enroled under Aadhaar till now, taking the district to the top of the list in the State in terms of coverage.
“A meeting held at the level of Education Minister earlier this month had decided to introduce in the district the Aadhaar-based staff fixation, replacing the traditional sixth day head count at the start of every academic year,” said Joseph Antony, district coordinator of IT@School Project, which has been monitoring the Aadhaar enrollment in the district. “It will be implemented from the coming academic year.”
Despite the vacation, special drives centered around Assistant Educational Offices (AEOs) were held in the district on April 7 and 13 to further the coverage of Aadhaar. In most cases, camps for enrolling students were held at Akshaya centres adjacent to the AEOs. .Enrolment of disabled students and children of migrant workers studying here remains to be completed.
“For disabled students, we have asked for the service of mobile units that are deployed by the health department at the instance of the National Rural Health Mission for the enrolment of pregnant women. Besides, AEOs have asked for the vehicles from the local bodies within their limits so that Akshaya entrepreneurs can set the biometric equipment aboard them and visit the houses of these students who are being taught at homes under a scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan,” Mr. Antony said.
Migrant workers could get their children enroled at their home states. In that case they need to give their Aadhaar number to authorities here. “One of the advantages of Aadhaar-based staff fixation is that it will help identify fictitious students in schools,” Mr. Antony said.
