West Bengal may soon stop taking student attendance by calling out names.
The state School Education Department plans to use an AI-based facial recognition system instead.
The system will first be tested in 100 schools. These are government and government-aided schools.
The trial is expected to begin after schools reopen following the Puja vacation.
If the pilot works, the department wants to extend the system across the state from January 2027.
Key points
- The pilot covers 100 government and government-aided schools.
- Teachers will use a mobile app that reads a classroom photo.
- The app will match faces with a database of student photos and details.
- A statewide rollout is targeted for January 2027, if the trial succeeds.
How would the new system work in a classroom?
Teachers will use a dedicated mobile app on their smartphones.
After entering the classroom, the teacher takes a photograph of the class.
The app then uses facial recognition to identify students in the photo.
It matches their faces with a digital database prepared before the system starts.
Based on this check, the app creates a list of students who are present. It also shows who is absent.
- 1Open the appTeacher uses a dedicated mobile app on their smartphone.
- 2Photograph the classAfter entering the classroom, the teacher takes a photo of the class.
- 3Identify studentsThe app uses facial recognition to identify students in the photo.
- 4Match with databaseFaces are matched with a digital database prepared before the system starts.
- 5Create attendance listThe app lists students who are present and shows who is absent.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
Why does the department want this change?
Right now, teachers call out names or roll numbers one by one. This can take a lot of time, especially in large classes.
The department hopes teachers will spend less time on daily records.
They could spend more of that time on classroom activities.
Digital records may also help schools calculate attendance percentages and track regular absence.
Education officials could monitor this information more easily.
What happens next for the pilot?
The results of the first phase will decide whether the system goes to more schools.
A statewide rollout is targeted for January 2027, but only if the pilot is successful.
Explainer
What happened before
- Teachers in West Bengal schools usually call out student names or roll numbers to mark attendance.
- This method can take considerable time, especially in classrooms with many students.
- The state School Education Department is now planning a digital alternative.
Why it matters
A faster system could give teachers more time for classroom work and make absence records easier to track.
What to watch next
- The trial will begin in 100 government and government-aided schools after the Puja vacation.
- A statewide rollout from January 2027 depends on the pilot being successful.
