CHAPTER 1

Introduction

It seems that tradition has kept the paper-and-pen method of keeping records of attendance from falling out of popularity. Not that people are afraid of going through changes, and certainly not because there aren’t any other alternatives, but only because no one has cared. In reality, this method is fast becoming obsolete; in fact that time is already now. So in contrast with this modern day and age, when most tasks have long since been automated, many may even call this approach still being used in school today as history.

The paper method was convenient for a while until it became such a clutter just keeping them. Also, this type of record-keeping is not the most reliable as they are in constant danger of being damaged and being lost in passage or in handling. Records in paper can be cheated too –and trees could have been spared for more reasonable purposes especially when their numbers are thinning down.

Manufacturing is more efficient and faster than ever. Not so long ago the components needed for automating the most common systems were being produced in a much slower pace than in today’s standards, which explains too why the cost was higher back then. But nowadays the production shows no sign of slowing down; it is even increasing exponentially. On the other hand, the prices drop down and the demand grows in scale. Thus the same will be true for automating an access and attendance monitoring system: it is not as expensive as one might think. Also it is appropriate in this generation of students that attendance keeping is improved a step higher. Because it is extremely harder to keep them interested in attending their classes at all times; they have too many distractions (not to mention excuses), they skip lessons, and has -in very creative ways- evolved in their ability to cover up their disappearances. In