Shimla – Focusing on strengthening the primary education system, the Himachal Pradesh Education Department has set clear priorities for the upcoming academic session. From April 1, 2025, primary schools across the state will adopt a mandatory mobile app-based attendance system, while fresh efforts will be made to boost student enrollment and promote digital technology in school libraries.
In a meeting held at the Directorate of Education under the chairmanship of Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar, officials discussed key strategies to enhance the quality and efficiency of schools. One of the major decisions was the statewide rollout of the Smart Attendance App for teachers and students from classes 1 to 8.
Under this system, teachers will first mark their attendance on the app, and then record all students’ presence in their class. The time and location of attendance will be automatically updated and sent to the Vidya Samiksha Kendra, ensuring real-time monitoring of attendance data. The Education Department has warned of disciplinary action against teachers who fail to comply with the online attendance system.
After a trial phase last year, the digital attendance model is now being expanded to cover all primary schools in the state. Department officials confirmed that teachers have already been trained to use the app, which will store complete student records, including names, school details, and class information.
Beyond attendance, the Education Secretary stressed the need to increase enrollment in government schools, directing officials to launch a special campaign aimed at attracting more students. The department is particularly focusing on addressing declining numbers in rural areas and promoting public schools as a reliable option for quality education.
Another key area of focus discussed during the meeting was the digitization of school libraries. Officials were instructed to introduce modern digital tools and resources to make libraries more engaging for students, thereby improving learning outcomes.
The meeting also reviewed the plan to merge schools and colleges with low student numbers, ensuring optimal use of resources and faculty. Officials from both the Primary and Higher Education Directorates, including Director of Higher Education Dr. Amarjeet Kumar Sharma and Director of Primary Education Ashish Kohli, participated in the discussions.
