Saudi- Fingerprint system in schools to curb teacher absenteeism 

(MENAFN - Arab News) The Ministry of Education is preparing to implement the fingerprint system in schools for better administration.

Khalid Saad Al-Madkoori, a school director in Taif, said the fingerprint system is a positive step toward reducing the administrative burden off school principals' shoulders. "It will have a big impact on education," he added. "School principles face the dilemma of accepting or rejecting the excuses teachers and administrators provide for their irregular attendance. As such, the fingerprinting system will help alleviate this problem and relieve principles from this burden."

Mohammad Omar Al-Shuhri, another school manager, lauded the decision to implement the fingerprint system, saying it will have a positive impact on school administrations in the Kingdom, as it will record the attendance of teachers and ensure greater punctuality among school employees.

He explained that the machine carries a particular code for each teacher and school employee, and the device receives input signals when a fingerprint is pressed into the specified space.

"A number of government agencies have put this system into practice, to improve employee performance and punctuality, particularly in sectors such as hospitals and municipalities," he added.

The fingerprint device controls the process of attendance and authorization, said Hamid Al-Maliki, former director of Suhail bin Abdullah Secondary School.

He added that the Education Ministry welcomes all new developments, but its practicability depends on the principals' attitude toward the system. The Jeddah authority has organized a number of workshops in order to introduce the new device to school administrators, and already 50 of them have expressed their readiness to implement the new system in their schools.