POLICY IN SCHOOLS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CONTENTS 1.0 POLICY OBJECTIVE POLICY BACKGROUND DEFINITION 3

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1 Ministry of Education, National Heritage, Culture & Arts and Youth & Sports POLICY IN SCHOOLS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CONTENTS TOPIC PAGE 1.0 POLICY OBJECTIVE POLICY BACKGROUND DEFINITION RELEVANT LEGISLATIONS AND AUTHORITIES PROCEDURES GUIDELINES EFFECTIVE DATE REVIEW DATE KEY SEARCH WORDS APPROVED BY THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION 7 1

2 1.0 POLICY OBJECTIVE 1.1 The purpose of this policy is to provide a framework that will enhance and facilitate an effective, efficient and timely data collection from schools and reporting to the Ministry of Education, National Heritage, Culture & Arts and Youth & Sports (henceforth called the MoE) and all stakeholders throughout Fiji. This policy is also designed to ensure that the collection and entry of data is undertaken with care and concern to continually raise the quality of data held in the School Information Management System (SIMS) database. This should raise the integrity and trust in the database. The correct data would allow the Statistics Unit to calculate education indicators correctly POLICY 2.1 The collection of information from schools will be done in an efficient and timely manner to minimise the impact on school staff and to maximise their attention to the learning needs of their students. 2.2 All information required by the MoE from schools is to be coordinated through the Statistics Unit. The only exception is where specific information is required from a particular school and is not available on the SIMS Data Base. 2.3 The Statistics Unit will send the forms, commonly known as SIMS 1 and SIMS 2 to schools annually SIMS 1 form shall be in the schools at the start of each school year. The completion of this form by schools is to be one of the requirements for the release of second term grants for schools SIMS 2, to be in schools for the start of Term 2, is to confirm student numbers and seek information essential for the MoE, but is not needed at the beginning of the school year. The completion of this form is to be one of the requirements for the release of third term grants. 2.4 Any Section within the MoE or other Ministries and Departments or organisations or individuals wishing to survey all schools to collect information, must have the specific approval of the Permanent Secretary for Education (PSE) and in consultation with the Principal Education Officer (PEO) HRM. 2.5 School Heads are obliged to submit properly completed forms ensuring accuracy, and currency of information on the specified date.schools and officers proven guilty of breaching this policy shall be disciplined. 2.6 All MoE senior staffs and their assistants will be provided with training upon request on how to extract information for standard and needs based reports from the SIMS Database. 2.7 District Education Officers by virtue of their supervisory roles are obliged to ensure that all data are entered accurately in the database as early as possible. 2

3 2.8 Complacency of data entry that results in delays in entry and errors in the database may lend the District Education Officers liable for penalties as specified in Any person found to be hindering or preventing the flow of information shall be in breach of the Public Service Code of Conduct Part 2, Section 5 (1) (14). 3.0 BACKGROUND The MoE, through the HRM Unit is required to provide information for the regular reporting requirements of the MOE and on a needs basis. The documents that outline and require regular performance reporting include: a National Strategic Development Plan b Social Justice Act (2001) c Ministry of Education Strategic Plan d Ministry of Finance Quarterly Report e Strategic Framework for Change Coordinating Office Report (SFCCO) f Ministry of Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics Report g Peoples Charter For Change Peace and Progress h Roadmap for Democracy & Sustainable Socio-economic Development i UNESCO Statistical Data on Educational Attainment j Fiji Bureau of Statistics Report The MoE acquires and stores a huge amount of information. The information in the past had been collected by various sections and stored in hard-copy form or in a variety of databases within the various sections of MoE. There was significant duplication of information collected that contributed negatively to work loads of schools, districts and Central Office staff. A single school information system was developed and then enhanced to store most required data (SIMS). Previously the information was held in a database within the Research and Development area with only two officers having access and they were burdened with every query. Most senior officers in District, Divisional and Central offices now have access to SIMS via GovNet and can generate their own queries and reports at their desktop. SIMS has been enhanced to provide reports of all key performance indicators required by Government at the touch of a button through standard reports within the SIMS Database. As well there is the capacity for more specific data enquiries as SIMS is a SQL database. 4.0 DEFINITION 4.1 School Information Management System (SIMS) SIMS is a school information that simultaneously meets a range of MoE s needs and is accessible to all levels of the Ministry. The uses of SIMS include: to report regularly, and on a needs basis, to Government on its major policy objectives and performance indicators for Education, to report to Government, through the MoE Annual Report on a range of indicators, 3

4 4.1.3 to provide information to MoE Management to enable them to carry out their operational work effectively and efficiently, to provide information to MoE Management to assist with decision making and planning for future planning, and to provide information to schools to assist with their decision making and planning. 4.2 Sequential Query Language (SQL) Is a database computer declarative language designed for managing data in systems in relational database management system. 4.3 School Inclusive of all premises where teaching and learning take place, including ECE schools and vocational centres/ schools. 5.0 RELEVANT LEGISLATIONS AND AUTHORITIES 5.1 Information - Security and Access Policy 5.2 Policy in Distribution of Tuition Fees and Supplementary Grant (Per Capita Grants) using the Differential Resourcing Model Information Technology Centre (ITC) Govnet Policy 5.4 National Strategic Development Plan ( ) 5.5 Education Sector Strategic Development Plan ( ) 5.6 Ministry of Education Reports for Strategic Framework for Change Coordinating Office 5.7 Ministry of Education Annual Report 5.8 Report for Donor Agencies 5.9 Education Act (1978) 5.10 Information Act 5.11 Public Service Act, Public Service Code of Conduct - Part 2, Section 5 (1) - (14) 5.13 Roadmap for Democracy & Sustainable Socio-economic Development ( ) 6.0 PROCEDURES 6.1 Collection of School Information from Schools Any pre, primary, secondary, or vocational schools whether government, non government and registered by the MoE is required to fill in SIMS form and submit in a timely and efficient manner The school heads (Head teachers and Principals) shall ensure that information from their schools is complete and accurate and is sent on timely basis Submission of information on school finance shall be provided by the School Management upon the request of the school head. 4

5 6.1.4 All SIMS questionnaire forms shall be submitted to their District Education Offices. Data from the Forms would be entered in their respective education districts. The HRM/ Statistics Unit is responsible for management of this data. 6.2 Disciplining Non Complying Schools and School Heads Schools that fail to submit SIMS 1 and SIMS 2 forms on time or provide incorrect information will not be paid any grants until receipt of the forms at the respective education districts Discipline measures for School Heads includes suspension of salaries or disciplinary proceedings. 6.3 School Information and the MoE The section in the MoE that is authorised to collect school information through SIMS form from schools shall be the Statistics Unit The only exception is when sections may collect information from schools where specific information is required from a particular school and is not available on the SIMS Database through the approval of the PSE. 6.4 Timelines for School Census Forms The Statistics Unit shall distribute the SIMS Forms twice in an academic year. SIMS 1 prior to the beginning of the school year and SIMS 2 prior to the beginning of Term Both forms shall be prepared and despatched to schools by the Statistics Unit on or well before the required dates SIMS 1 shall be due in the relevant District Education Office: Primary 28 February and Secondary 31 March Receipt of a school s fully completed SIMS 1 at the District Education Office shall be one of the requirements for the release of Second Term grants to the school The SIMS 2 forms shall be in the relevant District Education Office no later than the Friday of the fourth week of Term Two Receipt of a school s fully completed SIMS 2 form at the District Education Office shall be one of the requirements prior to the Third Term grants being released to the school. 5

6 6.5 Approval to Collect Information from Schools All sections/units of MoE seeking information from schools shall consult Statistics Unit. This is to avoid any duplication of data collection and putting undue burden on schools Final approval on the above shall be given by the PSE in consultation with the PEO HRM. 6.6 The SIMS Database The Statistics Unit of the MoE shall be responsible for the management SIMS Database and printing of the questionnaire forms to be sent to schools. This should be done in a timely manner Training of senior staff and their assistants on how to extract information, standards and needs basis reports from the SIMS Database will be provided upon request by the Statistics Unit/ IT Unit Training of ancillary staff whose role is to input raw data into SIMS Database in the District Education Offices shall be provided training upon request by the Statistics Unit/ IT Unit on how to extract information and generate reports from the SIMS Database Since the new SIMS Database is available at Divisional and District Education Offices in Fiji, all schools, districts, tikinas and provincial queries in regard to School Information shall be directed to their respective District Education Offices and must seek prior approval of PSE in consultation with the PEO HRM All information extracted from SIMS Database, shall be verified and authenticated by the Heads of Sections before submission All Parliamentary, Government and Non-Government agencies queries related to MoE SIMS Database shall be handled by the Statistics Unit. Responses to queries shall be authenticated by the PEO HRM in consultation with the PSE before submission. 6.7 District Education Offices Are responsible for the collection of all SIMS questionnaire forms from schools twice a year and completion of their data base input and forwarding them to the Statistics Unit. 6.8 Information Technology Centre [ITC] Under Purchase Agreement, Information Technology Centre [ITC] will provide permanent software and licences support and technical assistance in conjunction with the IT Unit of MoE where applicable. 6

7 7.0 GUIDELINES 7.1 For newly established schools, the District Education Office should inform Statistics Unit for their SIMS questionnaire form. 7.2 The Statistics Unit will ensure that the necessary forms reach the left out school(s). 8.0 EFFECTIVE DATE..05/09/ REVIEW DATE...05/09/ KEY SEARCH WORDS Schools Information Management System, SIMS 1 and SIMS 2 questionnaire forms, SIMS APPROVED BY THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, NATIONAL HERITAGE, CULTURE & ARTS AND YOUTH & SPORTS, HONOURABLE FILIPE BOLE SIGNATURE 05/09/11 DATE 7