Guwahati, Dec 15: The Assam Department of School Education on Monday launched an automated SMS alert system aimed at reducing student absenteeism in government schools.
The initiative is integrated with the Shiksha Setu app, which monitors daily attendance of students and teachers. Officials cited frequent absences due to family issues and lack of parental awareness as reasons for implementing this technology-driven solution.
Under the system, parents and class teachers receive automated SMS notifications when a student is absent for five consecutive days. Alerts are sent on the 5th, 10th, and 15th day of absence and continue until the student resumes attending school. Class teachers receive details including the student’s name, class, and section to facilitate direct follow-up, while parents are sent simple reminders regarding their child’s absence.
To accommodate Assam’s linguistic diversity, messages will be available in Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Hindi, and English. Each district will use at least two local languages based on demographics to ensure maximum reach.
Department officials described the system as a “crucial step” toward improving attendance, maintaining educational continuity, and preventing school dropouts.
