Technology to alert parent when child misses class launched

In institutions of learning, attendance is closely linked to subject grades. Yet managing student enrollment, classroom attendance and learning, especially in classes with a large number of students, can be rigorous and sometimes an inaccurate process. 

With so many students to account for, it becomes difficult and tedious to achieve accurate class attendance using a manual system.

To improve students’ educational learning outcomes, I Choose Life (ICL) a youth empowerment NGO is using technology to accelerate youth empowerment in 234 learning institutions (primary, secondary and tertiary institutions) across 23 counties in Kenya. The organisation has developed a web-based Biometric Student Information Management system (BioSIM) that is designed to automate the enrolment and attendance of students nationwide.

According to ICL Managing Director, Mike Mutungi, BioSIM provides the ability to manage data from enrolment of eye’s iris scans and photographs of the students. The data is then used to track students’ attendance, educational performance, and can even track teachers’ attendance records. 

Its main objective is to improve enrollment, attendance and learning outcomes as well as keep parents informed on absentee students. The BioSIM also mitigates fraud by tracking the funds availed to each school according to the actual enrolment figures, which would reduce the incidents of ‘ghost students’.

The technology consists of an android phone and hand-held iris camera, which can enable a teacher with 80 students to take roll call in about one minute by checking all listed class students and simply un-checking those who are absent. A text message is sent to the parent informing them if their child is late or absent.

Any child missing school for ten consecutive days is red flagged for follow-up and, reports and recommendations are made on sight.

In an event themed #Innovations4SDG’s, ICL demonstrated the BioSIM technology as it hosted the Quadra Helix Summit at Nairobi Innovation week, March 2017 Event recently held at University of Nairobi. The BioSIM uses the eye’s iris as a unique personal identifier.

According to Mr Vince Sila, software developer of the BioSIM: “The iris as a unique personal identifier is deemed to be more accurate than the thumbprint as the iris pattern of a human stabilises by 18 months of age and stays constant till death.

In comparison, using fingerprint pattern as a unique personal identifier has challenges as the fingerprint pattern keeps changing and only stabilises at 12 years of age. The accuracy of fingerprints can also be hindered by dirt, oil or grease and are more susceptible to wear and tear damage due to callusing from manual tasks.”