Allahabad HC seeks comprehensive measures from UP govt to end teacher absenteeism

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The state government must come out with a "solid" solution to ensure teachers come to the schools in villages, where mostly the poor study, the Allahabad High Court has said.

The court also directed the state to apprise it of measures it has taken to ensure teachers' attendance.

The direction was issued by Justice Praveen Kumar Giri, who was hearing a petition filed by Indra Devi, a teacher of a composite institution in Pailani of Banda district.

Indra Devi was suspended when she was allegedly not found absent from the school during an unannounced inspection by the district magistrate.

The court said that the absence of an effective attendance mechanism since Independence has severely impacted the constitutional right to education of poor children.

On October 16, the court directed the state to frame a "practical" policy to monitor attendance in educational institutions.

During the hearing, the state's standing counsel informed the court that, pursuant to the earlier directions, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of the government's chief secretary.

The court, in its order dated October 30, said, "In the era of technology, the attendance of teachers should be recorded at the time prescribed under the Rules and Acts through virtual/electronic mode." The court said that while some leniency could be shown for minor delays, habitual absenteeism must not be tolerated.

The court fixed November 10 as the next date of hearing.