…as local advisory firm, suggests comprehensive ICT solutions for schools
Beverly Bizeki
Schools management systems in Zimbabwe will receive a major boon after a local advisory service firm, Alinial Chartered Accountants Zimbabwe announced its intent introduce a locally customized School Management ERP system to public and private schools in with the approval of Ministry of Primary and School Education (MoPSE).
The system is meant to enhance and bring transparency in enrollment, students data management, timetable, timetable management, attendance by both students and teachers, fees collection among other things.
Alinial Chartered Accountants Zimbabwe Business Development Manager Last Matema complimented MoPSE’s initiative to digitalize learning institutions and said the manual school management systems being run in schools expose the educational sector to decisions based on not so correct information which is either stale or outdated.
“We wish to compliment the ministry in its drive to digitalize the learning institutions in line with the National Development Strategy 1. The current manual school management systems being employed in schools expose our educational sector to decisions based on stale and or outdated data by stakeholders as information retrieval is hectic and time consuming.
“It takes an average of three weeks for a bursar to come up with the outstanding fees report, by the time it comes out, it will not reflect the actual position as of that day hence a decision based on that report is misleading,” said Matema.
Matema also said the system was crucial especially in schools with hot sitting as it provides interaction with parents or guardians for learner accountability using SMS alerts.
“As you may know, most of the schools are on hot sitting due to infrastructural challenges especially in high density suburbs and growth points, this expose leanerss to sexual and drug abuse especially those in secondary school.
“Our system’s attendance module interact with parents and guardians through SMS alerts when the child attends and leave the school premises, it goes further to notify the parent or guardian on exceptional reports for example when the child misses class,” said Matema.
Matema also said the system was important in context data capturing and storage in light of hazardous environments, theft and displacement of documents and will be launched in schools in the Eastern highlands as these are often prone to natural disasters.
“We are approaching the rain season and we have heard stories about schools’ financial records being swept away during cyclone Idai and we are exposed to these disasters and must be prepared accordingly. Our system stores data in the cloud and data is recoverable in a disaster of any magnitude. Information kept on the cloud will be readily available,” said Matema.
He said of important to note is the system’s ability to provide interaction between the school and its former learners which is important in supporting the school’s programs.
“Most schools have no system to connect with their former learners who are key stakeholders in as far as supporting the schools’ programmes, sustain and promoting the school’s brand and fundraising is concerned,” said Matema.
Matema said the company is already in the process of engaging MoPSE so that they can proceed on a full scale across the country.
He said the system also caters for learners in rural areas as it allows access to academic resources such as textbooks, access to emails and other online content.
