Permanent Education Number (PEN) Required for Students Starting Academic Year 2024-25

A Unique Identifier for Every Student

In a move to simplify and streamline the process of students’ transition from one school to another, the School Education Department in the state has made the use of Permanent Education Number (PEN) mandatory from the academic year 2024-25. PEN is a unique identification number assigned to every student by the Union Ministry of Education, through the UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus) portal, which covers more than 14.89 lakh schools, 95 lakh teachers, and 26.5 crore children.

Smoothing the Transition Process

According to S. Suresh Kumar, Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh School Education, the implementation of PEN would pave the way for streamlining and simplifying the process of students’ transition from one school to another in the new academic year.

He highlighted that when students changed their school, especially in Classes 2, 5, 7, or 8, their transition to the new school was often not smooth, as headmasters insisted on documents like record sheets, transfer certificates, caste, birth, and other certificates, resulting in hardships for parents and delays in the migration process. In some cases, children even dropped out of school during the process.

Digitized Data Transfer and Alerts

Mapping and Data Transfer

The Commissioner stated that the District Education Officers (DEOs) had been asked to map the students to the school they wanted to migrate to, and their mapped data would automatically get transferred to the new school from the state headquarters.

SMS Alerts and Welcome Messages

In the new system, after a student’s transfer to the opted school, an SMS alert or welcome message would be sent to the parents, ensuring a smooth and informed transition.

Digitized Documents and Digilocker Accounts

As all the documents are being digitized while admitting students in Class 1, only the child ID (Aadhaar) and PEN would be needed subsequently. The officials have also been instructed to open Digilocker accounts for all students, right from Class 1, further streamlining the process.

Timelines and Deadlines

The Commissioner has set a deadline of April 23 for the DEOs to complete the task of students’ transition to new schools. Additionally, the department has fixed a time-frame for officials to process applications from private unaided schools seeking permission for recognition or renewal of their institutions.

The Mandal Education Officers and Deputy Education Officers have been asked to clear the applications within 30 days of receiving them, while the Assistant Directors in the DEOs’ office, the DEOs, and the Regional Directors of Schools will have seven days each to clear the applications.

With the implementation of PEN and the streamlining of processes, the School Education Department aims to ensure a seamless and efficient transition for students, minimizing hardships for parents and reducing the risk of dropouts.