Headteachers Given Smartphones To Monitor Teachers

This is to monitor the performance and absenteeism of teachers in schools.

According to government, “TELA monitoring system is a platform which enables information exchange. This is between various stakeholders in the management of primary schools and secondary schools to ensure teachers’ details are electronically captured.”

The system which is operated on android mobile devices will ensure teachers are monitored right from their arrival at school.

“The system has come to reduce the absenteeism of teachers which will increase the performance. This is because it acts as supervision and performance management tool. It captures evidence based on the information for quick and easy decision making by providing instant reports,” Nebbi District schools inspector James Gwoktho observed.

Besides, the system has a task performance management system on smartphones with GPS. It also features a biometric feature designed to monitor real-time teacher or head teachers’ attendances and timetable implementation.

“That is good but if the head teachers connive with the teachers, the whole captured information on the system becomes fake. This calls for transparency by the head teachers who control the monitoring devices,” Gwoktho noted.

Nebbi education officials say absenteeism of teachers in the district stands at 10 percent. However, they are optimistic that the tech intervention will increase teacher efficacy.