In an effort to prevent children from dropping out of schools, the education department of Karnataka 
will allot a unique 16-digit identity code to each student studying in schools across the state which will help track dropouts from Class I to SSLC.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, primary and secondary education minister Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri said: “The unique code will help track students who disappear from schools every year and re-enroll them. It will also help check the authenticity of teachers’ inputs.”
“The code, to be called ‘child tracking system’ will be uploaded on the website designed by the department. One crore children across the state will be covered under the scheme. The process of allotting codes to schools has reached the final stage. The code will be given as soon as possible,” Kageri said.
“The code will help track school dropouts and prevent students becoming child labourers and straying into unlawful activities,” he said.
When asked about when the new system will be in place, Kageri said the department will have to give the unique code to one crore students. “It will be implemented soon,” he said.
Asked about the controversy over starting a medical college at Sirsi or Karwar, Kageri said the decision should be seen as a need-based one instead being seen as politically motivated.
“Close to 12,000 teachers’ posts are vacant in primary schools across the state and the finance department agreed to only sanction 4,000 posts. Permanent recruitment of teachers has already been started,” the minister said, adding for the vacant posts, the department will hire teachers in educationally backward regions where the student-teacher ratio is poor.
