WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGR: The Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department has ordered a comprehensive attendance monitoring and verification mechanism across government schools, following inputs that student attendance was in some cases being recorded on the digital system without adequate physical verification of students in classrooms.
In a circular, the department said attendance records must accurately reflect the actual presence of teachers and students and directed all government schools, PM SHRI schools, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, residential schools and model schools across J&K to strictly comply with the new verification framework.
Under the new directions, teachers will be responsible for physically verifying students present in the classroom before uploading attendance through the JK Smart Attendance application. The circular specifically states that attendance cannot be uploaded unless the concerned teacher has personally verified the presence of each student.
The department has also made it mandatory for every government school to maintain a Class-wise Manual Attendance Register as a supporting institutional record. Attendance in the register will have to be entered twice daily—once at the beginning of the school day and again before departure—and authenticated by the concerned teacher.
The manual register will be treated as the primary reference document for inspection, verification and audit purposes, with entries required to correspond with the digital attendance records. The Head of Institution will have overall responsibility for the credibility and accuracy of attendance records and will be required to conduct surprise checks of both manual and digital records.
Heads of institutions may also furnish a monthly certificate confirming that attendance has been physically verified, manual and digital records reconciled, and no fictitious or proxy attendance recorded.
The department has further assigned inspection responsibilities to Cluster Heads, Zonal Education Officers and Chief Education Officers. During inspections, officials will cross-check the manual register, digital attendance uploaded through the JK Smart Attendance application and the actual strength of students present in the school.
Inspecting officers have also been directed to verify the physical presence of students against digital attendance, correspondence between manual and digital records, attendance of teaching personnel through the JK Attendance application, classroom environment and teacher-student interaction, as well as punctuality and regularity of teachers and students.
The circular says schools where attendance falls sharply, remains unusually high—including 100 per cent attendance for extended periods—or shows abnormal patterns should automatically become priority institutions for inspection.
The department has also prescribed minimum monthly inspection targets for senior officials.
The Commissioner/Secretary, School Education Department will inspect at least one school every month, while the Directors of School Education, Jammu and Kashmir, will each inspect at least five schools monthly.
Chief Education Officers and Zonal Education Officers have been assigned a minimum of 10 schools every month under their respective jurisdictions. Cluster Heads are required to inspect all schools within their clusters at least once every quarter, along with random monthly verification of attendance records.
Discrepancies can invite disciplinary action
The department has warned that any deliberate manipulation, fictitious recording, proxy marking, unauthorised uploading of attendance or material discrepancy between manual and digital attendance records will be treated as a serious administrative lapse.
Officials found responsible could face disciplinary action under applicable service rules.
The Directors of School Education, Jammu and Kashmir, have also been directed to prepare a consolidated monthly compliance report covering inspections conducted, deficiencies observed, remedial measures initiated and the status of compliance. The report is to be submitted to the Administrative Department by the 7th day of the succeeding month.
The circular places primary responsibility for implementation on Heads of Institutions, while Cluster Heads, Zonal Education Officers and Chief Education Officers will be accountable for supervision, monitoring and enforcement within their jurisdictions.
The department has directed all concerned authorities to ensure strict compliance with the new attendance verification framework.
