Pune: Teachers Overburdened As State Pushes School Geo-Tagging During Ongoing Exams; Educators Raise Concerns

Pune, 21st April 2025: Even as examinations and evaluations are underway in schools run by local governing bodies and private-aided institutions across Maharashtra, the state’s Education Department has initiated the process of geo-tagging schools. This has sparked concern among educators who are already preoccupied with academic responsibilities, raising the question—why are teachers being tasked with additional data entry work at such a crucial time?

The geo-tagging process is being conducted through the ‘MahaSchool’ mobile app, which requires teachers to input detailed information and upload photos of their school premises. Teachers argue that, with exams and assessments in full swing, expecting them to simultaneously complete geo-tagging is unreasonable.

Currently, comprehensive data on state schools is already available on the Union Government’s UDISE+ portal, including details like student enrollment, number of teachers, physical and IT infrastructure, and other school facilities. However, the School Education Department lacks specific spatial data such as the location of schools in relation to hamlets, population density, proximity to highways, and facilities offered by other government departments nearby. To fill this gap, the decision was made to geo-tag all schools in the state.

The move has been met with resistance from the teaching community. Many educators question why they are being made to enter the same information repeatedly despite multiple discussions about establishing a unified system for data collection. Teachers claim they are forced to use weekends to fulfill these tasks, yet many are still unable to complete the requirements.

Education Commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh defended the initiative, stating, “Geo-tagging must be completed before the summer break. Teachers are only required to input latitude-longitude data and school photographs, and the process is a one-time task. The information gathered will be vital for planning and policy-making at various administrative levels in the future.”