In an effort to improve teaching and learning as well as schools academic performances, the Department of Education has developed a software application or platform to streamline and automate various administrative tasks within an education institution.
The School Information Management System (SIMS) for PNG schools serves as a centralized database to store, manage and retrieve information related to students, teachers, schools timetabling, attendance, assessments and other relevant information for students and teachers.
The project will be trialed in schools in NCD and later launched and rolled out to the rest of the country.
About fifteen (15) secondary school Principals and three (3) junior high schools in the National Capital District were introduced to the “School Information Management System” (SIMS) this week.
The Secretary for Education Dr Uke Kombra attended the School Information Management System introductory session hosted by the Department of Education ICT team at Butuka Academy and asked the principals to cooperate and work to improve teaching, learning and academic performances of schools.
Dr Kombra said schools and enrolments are increasing dramatically annually and every school’s information needs to be captured in a centralized and single standardized system.
“Our management systems must be up to date with the change in systems globally. Technology must be the way forward for us in order to manage our schools and to help manage our education system,” Dr Kombra said.
The new Information Management System has the following five features:
- Students bio-data/Information; allows administrators to store and manage data for new continuing and transfer-in students. It includes personal details, contact information, medical records and other personal information for a student.
- Teacher Bio-data/Information; allows administrators to store and manage teachers’ data including teachers’ personal details, contact addresses, qualification, medical information, family information and further allows principals and inspectors to add reports and remarks on the performance of a teacher.
- Timetabling; the system has a feature to allow deputy academic principals to create/set the time table of each class for the school’s academic year.
- Attendance tracking; the system enables schools to track students’ and teachers’ attendance and generate reports.
- Assessment data; the system allows teachers to add and view students; assessment data.
Dr Kombra asked school heads to take leadership in the training and make awareness to schools, teachers and parents about the new system.
