South African education system considering biometric time clocks
South Africa's Department of Basic Education is planning to improve its employee tracking techniques by utilizing a biometric time clock system for educators in its schools. Spokesman Panyaza Lefusi told ITWeb that 13 percent of the country's schools already have a biometric system but the facilities being targeted by the department are using an attendance system from "the stone age."
A biometric time clock tracks employee time and attendance by scanning fingerprints. By recognizing a totally unique attribute of an employee, this software is much more accurate than other attendance methods, prevents buddy punching and can reduce absenteeism.
These are most of the same reasons that South Africa's education department wants to move to biometrics. Lefusi said that with the country's current sign-in system, many teachers clock in on behalf of others or forget to sign in at all.
The biometric time clock project in South Africa is still in the early development stages, but administrators hope to have it fully implemented by 2015, as reported by ITWeb. Additionally, although some reports have asserted that it would cost R480 million (480 million South African rand, or about $53.5 million USD), the department says it is still too soon to determine the cost.
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