Central govt seeks bank details of students; teachers, parents are not happy

The centre is pushing schools to collect bank and salary details of students for compiling a national school database under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. However, the move has not gone down well with parents and teachers, according to an Economic Times report.

Teachers are worried about the load this will add to their already busy schedule, as they are working on new admissions and report cards. On the other hand, parents are not sure about the need for such details to be given to the government, especially considering the data leaks that have occurred in the recent past.

A circular in the regard was issued on April 12 to officials in the education sector by the Maharashtra Prathamik Shikshan Parishad that directed schools to furnish data related to students and enter the same in the student database management information system (SDMIS), for those studying in classes pre-primary to class 12.

The details needed to filled are Aadhaar number, religion, caste, mother tongue, parents’ details, student’s bank account number and IFSC code. Students in higher secondary classes who have opted for vocational courses have to provide details about their job profile, employment status and salary offered as well.

A school principal, on the condition of anonymity, told Mumbai Mirror, “It is the first time the government is asking for so much information. I am surprised, it is too personal. I don’t know why they want the details.”

The reason for the creation of such a database was to provide benefits to students through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), a system in place for a direct transfer of subsidies, like funds for books, uniforms or scholarships, a BMC education officer Mahesh Palkar said.

Parents and schools are not clear about the point of this entire exercise. “The government should have taken the information already available in SARAL, the Maharashtra government’s student portal. What is the point of asking for salary details? Schools are neck deep in assignment and admission work,” Shankar Pawar, the principal of a school in Chembur, said.

Parents are not convinced why this personal information would be needed for the transfer of subsidies. Many have also approached schools with privacy concerns.