Strengthening and Institutionalization of Education Management Information System (EMIS)

A Project by Education Department, Government of Balochistan Implemented with the Support of UNICEF and

Technical Implementation Partner Innovative Development Organization (IDO)

A Note on the Field Test of Android Based Real Time School Monitoring System at GBMODHS Yazdan Khan

on 19 November 2015

Monitoring in Real Time: Nadir Ali (L) Android Developer (IDO) and Zakir Hussain (R) SST Teacher (Education Department

Balochistan) Monitor Student Attendance on Tablet Device.

Photo by: Khumais Raza @ IDO

Balochistan EMIS

Implemented since July 2014, the EMIS project has achieved many a milestones and this brief document prepared by IDO is intended to contribute to raising awareness about the successful development and field test of Android Based Real Time School Monitoring System.

The Android Based Real Time School Monitoring System has been developed for Education Department, Government of Balochistan through the financial support of UNICEF and the technical support of Innovative Development Organization (IDO) to consolidate the capacities of Education Department in management through an efficient monitoring mechanism. The implementation of the monitoring mechanism through an Android based devise is intended to provide timely and real time information to all stakeholders at all levels of the education system. The Android software is designed to support education managers in

directing their resources towards the most deserving aspects of education.

Using this device, the school monitors will be able to collect information

related to the following indicators about any school:

- School Enrolment and Attendance;

- Teaching and Non-teaching staff availability and attendance;

- School Facilities;

- School Infrastructure;

- Teaching and Learning Environment;

- School Visits by Education Department Officials and other

stakeholders;

- Professional Development of Teachers;

- Utilization of Funds provided to cluster hub schools;

An Overview of the EMIS Project:

he provision of readily available and updated information for education

managers and decision makers helps them translate educational resources

into outcomes resulting also in transformation of educational inputs in

outputs. Innovative Development Organization is providing technical

support to education department, government of Balochistan in the

implementation of the Strengthening and Institutionalization of Education

Management Information System (EMIS). The project is being implemented

by Education Department with the financial Support of UNICEF.

In the EMIS project IDO is providing technical support in the development

of desktop and online data entry and reporting tools, the EMIS website, a

Complaint Management System (CMS), a Biometric Attendance System, a

Decision Support System (DSS) for support sections of the Education

Department, a Geographical Information System (GIS) for school mapping

and an Android Based Real Time School Monitoring System.

Evolving at the central level, the EMIS Project is envisaged as an effective

tool steadily decentralizing its utility to the micro management level in all

Districts of Balochistan. Capacity building on its utilization and operation

and maintenance are important aspects of the project.

T

1 The Real Time School Monitoring Process begins with the provision of

target number of schools to School Monitoring Associates. The

Monitoring Associates access the internet and enter BEMIS codes of

target schools in the Android Software. The software downloads data

of the target schools.

2

The Monitoring Associates fill in basic information of the school

including the names and contact number of school administration. The

Android software is programmed to automatically download the GPS

coordinates of the school upon initiation of the monitoring activity. At

the general information stage the monitors are also required to

capture pictures with the school signboard and with the school

principal/head teacher.

2.1

The Monitoring Associates visit each class to mark the number of

present and absent students. Students who fall under the chronic

absence (remained absent over an extended period of time) category

can also be recorded. During the process the monitors also observe the

physical and academic environment of the class against given

indicators. The major indicators included in academic environment are

the availability of curriculum, syllabus and timetable in class and the

availability of books and notebooks with students.

2.2

2

1

3

1. The School GPS is also downloaded to

provide means of verification for the visit

of monitoring associate.

2. Monitor of the Day, Mr.

Muteeb, District Education

Officer Quetta poses for a

picture with the school principal.

3. Monitoring in Real Time: Nadir Ali

(L) Android Developer (IDO) and

Zakir Hussain (R) SST Teacher

(Education Department

Balochistan) Monitor Student

Attendance on Tablet Device.

Photo by: Khumais Raza @ IDO

Photo by: Khumais Raza @ IDO

Photo by: Khumais Raza @ IDO

The Monitoring Associates check the school for availability and

condition of facilities such as availability of clean drinking water,

natural gas, electricity, desks and chairs and blackboards and chalks.

The monitors also record the number of classrooms and toilets

available in school and the physical condition of the infrastructure.

Information about the availability of school boundary wall is also

recorded.

Attendance of the teaching and non-teaching staff is coincided with

the attendance register and the physical presence of staff on the given

day. In order to cater the need for identifying ghost teachers and other

of the sort, the Android software is linked to EMIS to enable the

monitors to see pictures of all teachers in school by tapping their

name. The NIC numbers of the teaching and non-teaching staff are also

retrieved from the EMIS. The monitors are required to capture a

picture of the staff attendance register.

2.4

Information about student participation and leadership programs is

collected in this section.

2.5

5

4

6

4. Monitors are required to take a picture of

the staff attendance register.

5. Verification of physical presence

of teachers. Pictures of all

teachers can be downloaded to

Android Monitoring Software.

6. Information about the existing

number of classrooms and the

number of classrooms in use is

gathered.

2.3

Photo by: Khumais Raza @ IDO

Photo by: Khumais Raza @ IDO

Photo by: Khumais Raza @ IDO

The monitors collect information about visits of education managers

and other officials to school in last 3 months. The record of visitors is

verified for availability. Information about the visits of other

stakeholders such as the Parent Teacher School Management

Committees is also verified. The monitors are required to probe

whether records of any visits or meeting minutes are available.

2.6

In this section the monitors interview the school principal about the

number of teachers in school involved in the continuous professional

development which is an initiative of the education department for

uplifting the quality of education. The teachers are generally asked if

the school mentor is providing continuous professional support.

2.7

The monitors record the amount received by high school for

procurement for self and other feeder schools. The amount spent is

also recorded. The record of procurement committee meetings is

verified. In middle and primary schools, the head teachers are also

interviewed about the quality of teaching and learning materials

received from the cluster hub school.

2.8

7

7. The Monitors check records for visits by Education Officials or

other stakeholders

Both Monitor and School Principal record their observations. The monitor

also recommends the school report to relevant authority if actions are

required.

2.9

As soon as the Monitoring Associates can access internet services, the

school monitoring report is uploaded to the Real Time School Monitoring

Website for viewing of authorized managers in the Education Department.

3

Photo by: Khumais Raza @ IDO

As soon as a school monitoring report is uploaded through the Android based device, a notification is flashed on the Real Time School Monitoring System website for all authorized education managers to see. http://103.31.80.170:8015/Home.aspx

The Real Time School Monitoring System website provides general information about the number of schools monitored against the target number of school allocated for any month. The website also provides a cumulative indicator wise progress of the schools monitored in any month. Results are shown against the following indicators:

- School Enrolment and Attendance; - Teaching and Non-teaching staff availability and

attendance; - School Facilities; - School Infrastructure; - Teaching and Learning Environment; - School Visits by Education Department Officials and other

stakeholders; - Professional Development of Teachers; - Utilization of Funds provided to cluster hub schools;

The monitoring website also has a section showing district wise school monitoring visits in the month. Monitoring indicators can also be viewed for each district individually.

The most important report on the monitoring website has to be the school wise detailed monitoring report. The report contains all information about all of the above-mentioned indicators in the school on the day of visit. The report also contains pictures and CNIC numbers of the staff absent on the day of monitoring visit. The CNIC numbers of the staff enables education managers to view the teachers’ profiles on the EMIS website. The school monitoring report of Boys Model High School Yazdan Khan is given on the next pages.

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