Automated SMS alert system launched to reduce student absenteeism in schools

Guwahati, Dec 15 (PTI) The Assam government's department of school education on Monday launched an automated SMS alert system to reduce student absenteeism in institutes.

An app developed for monitoring attendance and other matters in Assam's government schools would send the alerts to notify parents and class teachers about a student's absence for five days in a row, according to an official release.

The department is tracking the daily attendance of teachers and students through the Shiksha Setu Application, and it has been observed that students did not attend school due to various reasons, such as family issues, lack of awareness among parents, among others.

"The department, in order to address the issue and improve students’ attendance, has launched a new, state-of-the-art Automated SMS-Based Absenteeism Alert System, and this technology-driven initiative is a crucial step toward strengthening student attendance, promoting educational continuity and enabling timely, focused intervention to mitigate dropout risks across all schools," the statement said.

The system will trigger standardised SMS notifications for students who remain absent for five consecutive days. These messages will be automatically generated at fixed five-day intervals (on 5th, 10th, 15th …days of absence) and will continue until the student concerned resumes attendance, ensuring persistent engagement with the family and school.

Alerts are customised and will be sent simultaneously to two key stakeholders -- class teachers and parents or guardians, the statement said.

Class teachers will receive focused alerts mentioning the name, class and section of the student concerned, enabling them to contact the parents in an effort to bring their wards back to school. Parents, on the other hand, will receive a direct and concise reminder regarding their child's continued absence.

Recognising the state’s linguistic diversity, the SMS alerts will be delivered in five official languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Hindi and English.

Messages in each district will be sent in a minimum of two local languages, based on the geographical and demographic profile, to maximise reach and comprehension, the release added. PTI DG NN