Two schools to launch students tracking system this session
Doha Modern Indian School (DMIS) and Cambridge International School for Girls are all set to formally implement Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-based student tracking system in the current academic session, Qatar Tribune reported.
Both the schools, under the banner of Taleb Group of Companies, are running pilot projects to check efficiency of the state-of-the-art monitoring system after getting approval from the ministry of education recently.
Called Automated Child Tracking System, the new technology is being tested in cooperation with an international firm by embedding chips in the identity cards (ID cards) of students.
RFID technology uses electromagnetic fields for wireless transfer of data. Movement of students can be tracked if RFID readers are installed in buses, labs, halls and classrooms.
These schools have started charging QR1,200 per annum from students for the chip-embedded ID cards from the start of the current academic session.
DMIS Principal Rakesh Tomar told Qatar Tribune that the school had planned to implement the system from April 1 this year, but the launch date was deferred due to some technical reasons.
"Before launching the system officially, we want to ensure that it’s foolproof. We hope to implement the system by September this year," Tomar said.
Once implemented, DMIS will be one of the first schools in Qatar to introduce the RFID system. Two other British schools in Qatar are also working on the new system.
Regarding the whopping annual fee of QR1,200 for an ID card, Tomar said, "There’s a lot of running cost involved with the new tracking system. It isn’t that once an ID card is issued then there’s no cost involved in implementing the system.
“We need a team of IT experts to monitor the system regularly. We need to send thousands of SMSes every day. All these cost money. Besides, we’ll have to install devices in buses and at all vital places in the school. We’ve got permission from the authorities concerned to charge QR1,200 annually from every student for the new ID card."
“RFID student tracking system in buses helps schools keep track of whether a student is getting off at the right stop. It sends a message to the parents' phone informing them about the position of the student. It can also be used to automate attendance and save time as teachers don't have to take attendance manually."
"The RFID tracking system will also be extended to drivers, who will have to swipe card at the start and end of the trip. The driver will be asked to check if there is still any child left on the bus while swiping out. This prevents sleeping kids from being trapped in the bus," Tomar said.
Active RFID tracking system can help easily track the movement of several students and is better placed in school entrances to keep track of everyone entering and exiting the school.
Meanwhile, several other Indian schools are also planning to implement the new tracking system.
DPS Modern Indian School and Birla Public School are also on the path to implementing the new system soon.
Courtesy: Qatar-tribune.com
its Ridiculous. Do you have any previous record from any other schools saying that this way work well for safety? If a parents ready to pay the amount,the school management ready to accept for safety issue and took full responsibility ?
I m getting only less than 5 sms in a month.
Kindly show your strength and staffs should work hard in the field not with de technology.
Mohamed
Why not complain to the Education Council ?
The Cambridge International School for Girls has already removed the system, as has Taleb's Cambridge School, as it did not work. There are a few remnants of the scanners but the contractors were fired and the system is no longer used. Not only is the cost of this to parents ridiculously high, it is also paying for something the school no longer has. Taleb Group is pretending it is still in use in order to keep the money they have fraudulently taken from parents. I would suggest the Tribune investigates this a little more thoroughly. This group will continue to take money from parents until somebody bothers to reveal its fraud.
This is simply another money making racket. 1,200qr per child and not a one time fee its annual and then if you have a toddler be prepared to cough up another 12,00 if the child looses her ID card. Seriously SEC and Taleb group you need to think and take parents concerns before initiating such worthless schemes. Instead of having dependency on technology why don't you pay better salaries to the bus drivers and teachers so that they are not overworked and can do their duties diligently. I am sure if you pay them well reduce the no of students per class and in the bus as well it would be more cost effective and parents will appreciate such move rather then expecting the parents to cough up such huge amounts. In all fairness parents consent needs to be taken if they want to opt for this kind of tracking system.
Surely, the parents should have a choice as to whether they want to opt in or out..
This is RUBBISH Idea by the school management to eat parents money for no reason.This shows schools are FAILED to take CARE of their STUDENTS !!!! .
Hello if you send 1000 or 10000 SMS every day, collect the money from particular parents. what for your NON TEACHING STAFFs are employed for ?
PunchLiner, 2000 students is nothing. They have got more than 5000 students. School like MES has 8000 students on board.
Instead of this ID card business, each student shall be Escorted with their own arrangement . So that atleast some human is getting benefitted.
As usual, this is just another drama of DMIS to squeeze money from the parents. If the parents really want to track their kids, then it can be easily done with a cheap android or IOS smartphone with GPS on. Now itself the fees are very high but the quality is not up to the standards or facilities of other Indian schools in Qatar.
And this is how the rich get richer :O)
“We need a team of IT experts to monitor the system regularly. We need to send thousands of SMSes every day. All these cost money. Besides, we’ll have to install devices in buses and at all vital places in the school.''
Idea of the genius - Let the hapless parent pay for investments done by school LMAO !!
Effing Taleb Group !!
QAR 1200 x 2000 students (maybe more?)
= income of QAR 2.4 million every year !!!!!
This is worse than a Ponzi scheme !
I think an investigation is in order by the government authorities.
amann: As I said , the costs seem excessive, especially given the overall fees already charged..
I suppose its another money making scheme for the schools
Many on QL have already complained about the annual charges - which do seem accessive..
Do our kids really deserve it ? It is a question ................
Such a clever idea - joys