New online monitoring system for field-level edu staff to inspect Tamil Nadu schools

Chennai

For the first time, the Tamil Nadu government will bedeveloping a new mobile monitoring application exclusively for the SchoolEducation department field level authorities to carry out inspections andmonitor all aspects of the schools.

Monitoring of schools includes government, government-aidedand self-financing institutions across the State. The government's move todevelop an application with the help of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan came againstthe backdrop of lack of transparency with regard to the inspection of theschools through manual mode.

Now, the application would replace the existing process ofmanual paper-based observation process for field-level staff to capture thereal-time data which improves school management and governance by timelyinterventions, streamlining processes, creating transparency, and drivingaccountability through channelized escalations to field level academic andnon-academic staff and timely actions.

"Administrators will be trained in the usage of theapplication and this will be used during their inspections and school visits,”a senior official from the School Education Department told DT Next.

He pointed out that the field-level education staff, tosupport the schools, would facilitate to improve the quality of education andto back up the rollout of initiatives and projects started by state.

Stating that the application has features that would guidethe staff through a series of questions regarding each component at the visitsite, he said "It also has features that allow them to capture pictures ofthe visit".

The official said the various components during the visit ofthe schools include verification of teacher's attendance, student's strength,an inspection of classrooms, ensuring basic amenities inside the campus, andstudent's safety.

"Every visit recorded is also tagged with the GPSlocation of the site, so that effective support can be provided at the groundlevel," he added.

He said the application will be linked with the EducationManagement Information System (EMIS), a common online platform linking schools,teachers, and the government.

In addition, the authorities have decided to create a newsystem for the convergence with several departments like District Institute ofEducation and Training, Differently Abled Welfare Department, Social WelfareDepartment, Adi Dravidar Welfare Department with School Education Department toensure that the welfare initiative data and among others created by it can beeffectively utilized by all departments to improve the efficiency of existingprocesses and data sharing between departments.