Shillong, June 6: Elementary school teachers in East Jaintia Hills District on Tuesday decided to discontinue use of the GPS Map Camera App and Ubiattendance App till the authority concerned invites them for discussion on the matter.

The decision was taken at a joint meeting held between the Jaintia Hills Lower Primary School Teachers Association (JHLPSTA), Khliehriat Unit (a unit of All Meghalaya Primary School Teachers Association – AMPSTA), and Meghalaya SSA Schools Association (MSSASA), East Jaintia Hills District Unit.

A letter on the matter was also submitted to the district Sub-Divisional School Education Officer (SDSEO) P. Dkhar and District Mission Coordinator (SSA) S Laloo.

“(We) resolved to discontinue the use of GPS Map Camera App and Ubiattendance App by teachers effective from the date of receiving the representation by the Authority Concerned until discussion take place on the matter. In regards to this, we request your good self to confirm your convenient schedule to meet us for discussion on the matter,” the letter said.

The letter said to register/share the personal details of teachers in ‘Ubiattendance App (an enterprise software product of Ubitech solutions Pvt Ltd)’ without taking the consent of the respective teacher and this had distracted and frightened the teachers.

“Most of the teachers are using the normal handset not the Smart/Android handset, which the version of ‘Ubiattendance App’ does not support. Non availability of mobile network especially in remote areas like Huroi, Borghat, Saipung etc,” it said while adding that there was no consultation with stakeholders in education within the jurisdiction of East Jaintia Hills District before implementation the Apps and this put the teachers in panic state on what to do and what not to do.

Most of the teachers are not aware of this advanced technology and have no idea how to use the Apps because no training or awareness programs were conducted about the advantages and dis – advantages of “GPS Map Camera App” and “Ubiattendance App” before implementation and this had put the teachers in a dilemma.

The letter also said that although MEG-TIMS (Teacher Information Management System), a government project launched by the Department of Education Government of Meghalaya, is already in place, ‘GPS Map Camera App’ and ‘Ubiattendance App’ was launched and implemented only in East Jaintia Hills District and not across the state of Meghalaya.