No more bunks? Punjab schools to send daily SMS alerts to parents over students' absence

Chandigarh: Parents will now receive daily SMS alerts regarding their children's school attendance as the Punjab government on Thursday rolled out a state-wide attendance-tracking system under its Mission Samrath 4.0, a flagship foundational learning programme.

Declaring it as the next big leap in Punjab's 'Sikhya Kranti', Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the state, already ranked number one in the PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) survey, is now moving from recognition to results by tightening classroom accountability and scaling proven teaching practices.

He underscored that the state government raised the education budget to Rs 19,279 crore in 2026-27 from Rs 12,657 crore in 2021-22, ensuring funds reach classrooms rather than remain stuck in files, driving visible transformation from basic infrastructure to measurable learning outcomes across government schools.

Bains noted that the state government has introduced the attendance-tracking system as part of Mission Samrath 2026-27.

"Parents will receive daily SMS alerts on their child's attendance, with notifications for every absence, aiming to boost regular attendance, learning continuity and classroom engagement. Any child absent for seven days will trigger a district-level parent contact, while absence beyond 15 days will be flagged to state headquarters. This will ensure both learning continuity and child safety," he informed.

Emphasising the impact of the programme, the minister stated, "Mission Samrath has transformed classroom dynamics. This phase focuses on enhancing teaching quality and accountability through attendance tracking, improved monitoring and sharing the best practices. Our goal is to ensure that every child achieves strong foundational learning." He further underlined improvements in school infrastructure under the Bhagwant Mann government, stating that every senior secondary school with more than 500 students now has a dedicated campus manager, while schools with over 100 students have been provided security guards and sanitation staff, once unavailable facilities.

Explaining the focus of Mission Samrath 4.0, he said, "The programme ensures that children in grades 3 to 8 master reading, writing and mathematics." He stated that Punjab has surpassed the national average in foundational learning by 18 per cent in grade 3 and 26-28 per cent in grade 6.

Bains and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia also released the Mission Samrath Compendium, documenting 38 proven classroom practices developed by Punjab's teachers, which will now be scaled across government schools to accelerate learning outcomes, particularly for students requiring additional support.

Explaining the advantage of the SMS alerts, Sisodia said, "A parent, busy elsewhere, receives a simple message: 'Your ward has reached school safely.' That small act of accountability, that real-time reassurance, is worth more than a thousand grand declarations." Bains noted that Mission Samrath has already become one of India's largest foundational learning programmes, covering nearly 12 lakh students and engaging over 70,000 teachers annually, with its level-based teaching approach grouping students by learning level rather than grade, contributing to Punjab's top rank in PARAKH.

He further emphasised the philosophy behind the reforms, stating, "Every child cannot be sent to IIT, but the government's duty is to ensure that no child falls below the bottom line. Because if a system allows any child to remain beneath that line, the government has failed. A child is not a statistic. A child is hope. And hope cannot be left below the bottom line."