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Assam's New SMS Alert System: How Automated Messages Fight Student Absenteeism

The Assam government has launched a new automated system to tackle student absenteeism in schools. It sends SMS alerts to teachers and parents if a child misses five days of school in a row. The messages are customized and sent in multiple local languages to ensure they are understood. This initiative aims to prompt quick action and help bring students back to the classroom.

Key Points: Assam Launches Automated SMS Alert System to Tackle Student Absenteeism

  • System sends automated SMS alerts after a student is absent for five consecutive days
  • Alerts are sent to both the class teacher and the student's parents or guardians
  • Messages are delivered in five official languages, including Assamese, Bengali, and Bodo
  • The initiative uses the Shiksha Setu app to track daily attendance data
2 min read

Assam launches automated SMS alert system to tackle student absenteeism

Assam Education Minister launches automated SMS alerts for parents and teachers when a student is absent for 5+ days, aiming to reduce dropout rates.

"This technology-driven initiative is a crucial step toward strengthening student attendance, promoting educational continuity, and enabling timely, focused interventions to mitigate dropout risk. - Dr Ranoj Pegu, Assam Education Minister"

Guwahati, December 15

Assam Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu on Monday launched the Automated SMS Alert System to reduce student absenteeism across the schools in the state.

The Department of School Education, Assam, through the Shiksha Setu Application, tracks daily attendance for teachers and students.

As per a study conducted by UNICEF, it has been observed that there are issues of student absenteeism in schools due to various reasons, such as family issues, lack of awareness of parents, etc. To address the problem and improve student attendance, the Department of School Education launched a new, state-of-the-art Automated SMS-Based Absenteeism Alert System.

Assam Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu said this technology-driven initiative is a crucial step toward strengthening student attendance, promoting educational continuity, and enabling timely, focused interventions to mitigate dropout risk across all schools in the state. According to the Department of School Education, the system will trigger standardised SMS notifications for students who remain continuously absent for five consecutive days. These alerts will be automatically generated at fixed five-day intervals (i.e. on 5th, 10th, 15th ...days of absence) and will continue until the concerned student resumes attendance, ensuring persistent engagement with the family and school.

"Alerts are customized and will be sent simultaneously to two key stakeholders - Class Teachers: Class Teachers will receive focused alerts clearly mentioning the concerned student name, class and section, enabling them to contact the parents to bring the students back to school; Parents/Guardians: Parents will receive a direct and concise reminder regarding their child's continued absence, prompting them to send their child to school," the Department of School Education said in a press statement.

The press statement also stated that, in recognition of the state's linguistic diversity, the SMS alerts will be delivered in five official languages - Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Hindi and English. "To maximize reach and comprehension, messages in each district will be sent in a minimum of two relevant local languages, based on the geographical and demographic profile," said in the press statement.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good step, but will it work on the ground? Many families in tea garden areas or char chapori have poor network connectivity. Also, what if the parent's phone number changes? The system needs to be regularly updated. Hope the teachers are given proper training to follow up.
A
Arjun K
Finally, using technology for a real social cause. Tracking attendance is the first step. Next, the government should use this data to understand *why* absenteeism is high in certain blocks—is it lack of transport, need for child labour, or something else? Data-driven policy is the way forward.
M
Meera T
As a teacher in a Guwahati private school, I see value. But in government schools, teachers are already overburdened with non-teaching duties. Adding "parent contact" responsibility without reducing other workloads might not yield results. The system is good, but teacher support is crucial.
S
Sarah B
Interesting approach. The focus on continuous engagement until attendance resumes is key. In many cases, a single reminder is ignored. The persistent alerts show the state's commitment. Hope other states learn from this model.
V
Vikram M
The concept is praiseworthy, but what about privacy? Sending a child's name and class via SMS might not be secure. Also, five days of continuous absence seems like a long time to wait for the first alert. For a primary class child, a lot can happen in five days.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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