DESIGN OF STUDENT ATTENDANCE MONITORING SYSTEM USING RFID AND DATABASE TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

Educational
institutions across the world continue to rely on traditional manual met hods for
recording student attendance, which are prone to significant inefficiencies, human error, and fraudulent
manipulation. This paper presents the design and implementation of an automated student attendance
monitoring system that leverages Radio Freq uency Identification ( technology coupled with a
centralized relational database to address these challenges. Each enrolled student is assigned a unique
passive RFID card that is read at classroom entry points by fixed RFID readers interfaced with a
m icrocontroller. Attendance data captured by the readers is transmitted in real time to a back end MySQL
database, where records are stored, processed, and made accessible through a web based application built
on PHP and Apache. The system architecture cove rs hardware component selection, database schema
design, system workflow, and a web interface that enables faculty, administrators, and parents to query
attendance records and generate automated reports. An optional GSM module enables instantaneous SMS
not ifications to parents when a student s attendance falls below a prescribed threshold. A prototype was
evaluated over one academic semester in a pilot classroom environment, demonstrating significant
reduction in time devoted to attendance taking, near elimination of proxy attendance, and improved
administrative transparency. The paper further identifies inherent limitations of the proposed system and
outlines directions for future enhancement.