Teachers refuse to obey Education department's directive

Installation and use of RIIMS App for attendance data

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A controversy has erupted over a recent directive of the Education Department which asked principals/headmasters of Government and provincialized schools to urgently register each student and teacher under their charge under the RIIMS web portal and subsequently submit their daily attendance records through the RIIMS mobile application.

Many teachers have refused to install the RIIMS application on their personal phones for recording daily attendance. On the other hand, it is alleged that the Education Department officials are pressurizing the teachers to install and use the RIIMS application or face deduction in salary. A PIL has been already filed in the Gauhati High Court on behalf of the teachers, hearing of which is underway.

One of the petitioners is the general secretary of the All Assam Higher Secondary Teachers & Employees Association-cum-chief secretary of the Sadou Asom Sanmilita Shikshak Mancha, Syed Anisur Rahman.

He said that they have sent a letter to the Principal Secretary of the Education Department on Friday, that the directive issued by the departmental officials for installation and use on the RIIMS application on the personal phones of teachers flies in the face of the preliminary observations made on December 22, 2021 by the Gauhati High Court in the matter.

He mentioned that the High Court had observed in its preliminary Order: "In view of the specific stand taken by the learned Advocate General that individual teachers are not required to have RIIMS App downloaded in their personal mobile and that such information would be collected only by the registered mobile, which may be handled by any authority of the school, the Court is of the considered opinion that no interim order is called for at this stage.

"The Court is of the further considered opinion that the State Government, in the concerned Education Department, who are providing education in the Government or provincialised schools have a right to have attendance taken in such a manner they so desire, so long it does not infringe with the personal liberty of the teachers, which appears to be well founded because the RIIMS is not required to be downloaded in the mobile of individual teachers and students. The Court is bound to accept the said statement made by the highest Law Officer of the State."

Rahman said that despite the clear message of the court, teachers are still being harassed by Education Department officials on the pretext of RIIMS application installation and use.

He urged the Principal Secretary of the Education Department to issue a directive which clearly reflects the preliminary Order of the High Court and then collect attendance records of teachers and students from various Government and provincialized schools.

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