Education Ministry launches new palm recognition attendance system for govt schools, buses

Doha, Qatar - The Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Qatar has begun rolling out the "Hodori" attendance system across all government schools and school buses as the 2026-2027 academic year kicks off. The system aims to boost student attendance monitoring, improve accuracy, and foster discipline through a digital platform utilizing palm recognition technology.

The implementation follows a successful pilot phase in six government schools with around 5,000 students. The pilot showcased the system's effectiveness in enhancing attendance tracking, speeding up data recording, and strengthening school discipline, leading to its full-scale rollout at the start of the new school year.

Hodori employs palm recognition to securely and swiftly record student attendance and departure without physical contact. Students simply place their palms near a device, which identifies them and logs their information. The Ministry has completed all technical and operational preparations for the system, distributing devices to schools and buses for seamless registration.

The application method varies based on transportation. Private transportation students register twice daily at school devices - once upon arrival and again upon dismissal. School bus riders are registered four times daily - when boarding in the morning, arriving at school and disembarking, dismissing and boarding the return bus, and arriving at their final destination.

This detailed registration bolsters the accuracy of tracking students' journeys and supports safety and security during trips. The "Hodori" application is part of Qatar's drive towards digital transformation, leveraging modern technology to enhance the school environment. It also streamlines attendance monitoring, lessens the administrative burden on supervisors, and provides reliable data to monitor student progress and communicate with parents.