Tag: education

Posted on by Edsys

A couple of weeks ago, I met a friend of mine in the evening. She is a teacher at one of the major schools (sorry, can’t disclose the name) in Kolkata. Quite the colourful character, she chose the profession because it was her passion. However, that particular day, she was unusually quiet. From the moment she came in, something was clearly bothering her. There was an air of tension around her.

Surprise, surprise!

After a few sullen moments, I asked her what the issue was. She replied “School’s so exhausting! On top of my regular work, I am now in charge of recruiting new employees.” I asked her –“Nita, why the hell? What is the HR department doing then?” She looked at me as if I am an alien. Her response shocked me. “What HR, dude? This is a school.” She added “there was one accounts guy who was taking care of all this. But he left last week, and ever since, I’ve been burdened by additional work.”

This was news to me. Most schools probably have a work force that would be proportional to the number of students and courses they offer, due to an existing mandate of one teacher for every 30 students. Going by this logic, an average school with 1000 students would have 50 plus teaching and an equally sizable number or more of non-teaching staff. To me, having an HR department for such an organization appeared to be the most logical thing to do. This is one of the best practices that the corporate world is very particular about.

The bigger picture

If you think deeper, it is a huge problem. Just think of the scenario after the recruitment has happened. In the absence of a qualified HR, who would calculate the employees’ salaries, leaves and other benefits? And we haven’t started to think of activities such as internal communication and organizing events.

Currently, what most schools do is to assign this job to someone who is not specialised, like the accounts person or dump the job to some poor teacher like Nita. The whole recruitment thing is similar to a circus show. They will somehow be able to manage one or two cases. But if it happens on a large scale, it would mean chaos.

Why does this problem exist?

The cost of maintaining an HR team is the most obvious reason. And traditional thinking dictates that part-timers can cover-up for specialists in areas such as recruitment. Convenience can be the other major factor. But modern day technology should be able to provide a more convenient and cost effective method.

How does it impact?

Not having an HR in an organization as big as a school not only affects the productivity of the available resources, but also has an impact on the school’s reputation. A school may not be able to attract talented candidates due to the absence of a proper system. That means the quality of teachers cannot be guaranteed. This directly affects the education students receive. Now, no one would want that.

But the Human Resource Department is not just for recruiting!

Recruitment isn’t the only responsibility of an HR. What about payroll, daily attendance, performance overview, etc? An HR takes care of each and every aspect of workforce management. This is an existing problem in a majority of schools that needs to be addressed because schools are where the foundation of the nation’s future is laid.

Posted on by Edsys

What could be worse than not utilizing an opportunity when you actually have it in your hands? That’s what is happening in Dubai right now. The Knowledge and Human Authority (KHDA), governed by the Government of Dubai, has taken the initiatives for improving the performance of private schools in Dubai. As a result of that, KHDA inspects schools and the reports are published on their website on a regular basis. But it’s very disappointing to see that parents don’t even care to go through them.

“Despite more than 200,000 pupils attending private schools in Dubai, only 26,557 people viewed inspection results and reports by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) last year — and many of them weren’t even pupils or parents,” the Gulf News quotes. It shows that parents do not bother to enquire about the quality of schools before admitting their child and those parents, whose children are already in school, do not tend to evaluate the performance of the schools.

The KHDA has been publishing reports since 2009, to help parents in finding the right school for their children and to make the parents, whose children are already in school, aware of the school’s performance. Some parents just read the summarized reports that come in newspapers but do not go online and check the reports in detail. Some parents are just aware of the inspections happening in their kids’ schools, but they are not even aware that the reports are available online.

Hind Al Mulla, who is the Chief of Engagement, KHDA, says that parents should make use of the inspection reports to the fullest for providing better education to their children. “Reports enable parents to make informed decisions about their child’s education and future. Parents are able to contrast and compare the results of different schools, focusing on everything from academia to extra-curricular activities and student life,” Mr. Mulla says.

According to the reports, 154,901 people visited the KHDA website in the year 2012; however, only 6,103 went through the publication section containing KHDA inspection reports and other schools reports. But there was a slight increase in the figures last year. Out of the 337,628 people who visited KHDA website last year, 26,557 went through the online publication section. This shows a steady growth in the number of visitors viewing KHDA publications online.

“We are expecting the number this year to be the highest. We will continue to engage parents through various channels of communication. In addition to online reports, we offer smart services,” Mr. Mulla says. The figures show that in the first two quarters of 2014, the number of people who accessed the KHDA website were 204,139. Out of that, 18,776 people viewed the KHDA inspection reports and the other reports online.

KHDA is a regulatory authority aimed at providing quality education to students of private schools in Dubai and has hence set some guidelines for the schools to follow. They inspect schools on a regular basis and publish their reports online as an effort to improve performances of schools.

Posted on by Edsys

Private education and learning in Dubai are regulated by Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which may also include the school your child studies in or the school you work in. With KHDA assessing the schools, you can know how good the performance of a particular school is just by looking at their rating.

If you are not familiar with KHDA, here is a glimpse of what KHDA is and the role it plays in improving the performance of private schools in Dubai:

KHDA, which is a part of Government of Dubai, plays a pivotal role in ensuring quality education to private schools in Dubai.  KHDA monitors all institutions under private education sector of Dubai. The main motive of KHDA is to develop the education sector of Dubai to meet international standards, so that students would be well prepared to meet the fast moving world. KHDA has hence set some guidelines for the schools they monitor to follow.

How KHDA Monitors Schools?

KHDA ensures quality education to students using Dubai School Inspections Bureau (DSIB) and Regulations and Compliance Committee (RCC). These are subsidiary bodies of KHDA with specific duties.

DSIB

Dubai School Inspections Bureau (DSIB), is a team of school inspectors who visit the private schools in Dubai frequently to ensure the quality standards are met consistently. DSIB submits ratings of each inspected school, which would then be published in the KHDA website. These reports are usually submitted by DSIB in September.

While assessing the schools in Dubai, DSIB judges them based on a four-point scale. The four levels on the scale are:

  • Outstanding-When the performance of schools is exceptionally well.
  • Good-When the school meets expected educational standards in Dubai.
  • Acceptable-This level of performance of schools is acceptable in Dubai; however, the schools are expected to perform above this level.
  • Unsatisfactory-This is when quality of performance by schools in Dubai are below the expected level. Schools would have to take necessary measures to improvise their standard in terms of performance or practice at this level.

RCC

KHDA’s Regulations and Compliance Committee (RCC) is responsible for inspecting private schools in Dubai to ensure that they follow KHDA guidelines, which are mandatory. That is also an effort to fulfill KHDA’s aim to develop the standards of private schools in Dubai.

Apart from setting standards for improving performance of schools, KHDA has also set guidelines in terms of advertising by schools and for events and field trips conducted by schools. It is necessary for the schools to let KHDA know when they are planning to market or advertise the schools in any media.

KHDA rankings are not based on how much money has been invested by schools.  It is based on the right management and the ways adopted to improve performance and standards of schools.

Now if you are looking forward to improve your schools’ performance, here are some practices of schools that KHDA is looking upon in 2014, to assess the schools:

1. Taking Care Of Special Education Needs

In a school, there may be children with different learning abilities.  In 2014, KHDA plans to focus on schools, which attend to the needs of children who have difficulty in learning, or children who are differently abled or have special talents.  KHDA would look upon:

  • Syllabus modified by school, relevant equally for normal children and children who have difficulty in learning.
  • The schools should support students with special needs or disabilities, preparing them to face the world.

2. School Management System

Many schools with less monetary support may think that it is not possible for them to afford to have a good school management system.  However, having an effective school management system can have its own advantages.  It makes work easier and the employees of the school would be able to save time for other activities, hence increasing the productivity and reducing expenditure.  Better school management can be done by implementing

  • RFID School Bus Tracking System
  • Work Force Management etc.

3. EncouragingArabic & Islamic Education

Since Government of Dubai has taken initiatives to protect the tradition and heritage of the country, KHDA is giving importance on appointing efficient Arabic and Islamic teachers to improve the performance of students in Arabic and Islamic Education in private schools.

4. Appointment of qualified teachers

As an approach in developing the education sector of Dubai, DSIB would be inspecting whether private schools in Dubai are hiring qualified teachers.  DSIB would assess the teachers based on their

  • Knowledge on the subject
  • Ability to promote creative and imaginative skills of students apart from books
  • Approach towards students
  • Teaching methods and ability to plan the next step
  • Ability to encourage self-management in children

5. Students’ Personal & Social Development

KHDA focuses on the development of students on personal and social front. Therefore, in 2014, KHDA would look upon the measures taken by teachers of private schools in Dubai in encouraging

  • Leadership qualities in students
  • Discipline and self-management skills
  • Humanity and love towards humans, animals and environment
  • Positive response towards advices
  • Healthy lifestyle

By other countries taking up stands such as Government of Dubai and KHDA, it is possible to improve their education sector, thereby, creating an efficient work force, adding to the economy of the country.

Is your school finding it difficult to cope up with KHDA standards?

As the inspections happen very frequently, it is important that schools monitor their quality standards throughout the year. This is where Real-time Institution Management System (RIMS) from Edsys provides schools with an advantage. The integrated modules in this system ensure that the school authorities are notified when there is a compromise in the quality standards of a particular school.

But in order to enjoy the benefits of the KHDA Inspection software, a school will have to employ Real-time Institution Management System (RIMS). It is a comprehensive system that makes the overall management of your school easy. There are smart card solutions, GPS Tracking System, Attendance Management, School App and a lot more systems that ensure ease of management as well as student safety.

Posted on by Edsys

While GPS School Vehicle Tracking System have been around for decades with numerous benefits, most people have a lot of myths or misconceptions about them. This prevents them from implementing the technology for their school bus fleet. Below given are some of the common misconceptions about GPS School Vehicle Tracking System.

Misconception #1

  • GPS tracking is about monitoring students’ every move and intruding their privacy.

Truth

It is not about tracking every move of students or intruding their privacy. Rather, it is about providing safety and security to the children and also about reducing operating costs and tackling on field inefficiencies. It has been proven time and again that GPS systems can be used to reduce fuel consumption and maintenance costs. This is done mainly by efficient planning and routing.

Misconception #2

  • All drivers will quit if GPS tracking system is implemented.

Truth

The system makes the job a lot easier for drivers. In fact it gives them additional security too. If a child has failed to get into the bus at the designated stop, the information gets reported to the concerned authorities and parents. The system helps to provide roadside assistance. It also reduces the amount of paper work they are required to submit.

Misconception #3

  • Installation and use of GPS Tracking Systems are very complicated.

Truth

The GPS Tracking System has basic hardware installation and simple, easy to use web interfaces. Moreover, if the GPS provider is reputable, such as Edsys, then they will provide you with skilled experts to install hardware and the software.  These technicians will be available at all times to cover service issues as well.

Misconception #4

  • My mobile phones are enough for me to track my fleet. GPS systems are unnecessary.

Truth

They might have ushered in a communication revolution, but GPS tracking systems are far ahead of tracking just by mobile phones. They provide real-time vehicle location, valuable statistics such as history of stops and stop times, mileage, fuel consumption, or speeding patterns. With handheld devices, it is possible to track the location of people, but then they may not remember to switch on their mobile device, and moreover, students profiling becomes very difficult.

Misconception #5

  • GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems are all the same

Truth

If you are not aware of the additional features provided by a GPS tracking system, you might tend to think that GPS systems are all the same. But the truth is completely different. There are systems that simply show the location of the school bus on the map to systems that provide valuable details that provide insights to make your fleet more efficient and effective.

There is difference in the equipment too. In the case of Edsys, the hardware is provided by Taximeter, one of the leading providers of taxi meters and fare meters in India. But even if the hardware is the same, experienced people know that it is the relationship with the provider that makes all the difference.

Misconception #6

  • GPS Tracking Systems are expensive

Truth

While these systems were expensive a few decades ago, they are relatively affordable nowadays. Moreover, the savings they bring in by means of dealing with reckless driving, inefficient routing, excess overtime, side trips, excess engine idling, etc are far more than what they cost school managements.

Misconception #7

  • GPS Tracking is a relatively new, unproven technology

Truth

GPS technology has been around for decades now, and has found applications in several fields. In fact, the era of the reliable standalone GPS systems that were so helpful for travellers are now being replaced by handheld devices. But handheld devices fall short when it comes to tracking vehicles including school buses, and hence GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems become vital for schools and parents looking for a reliable student safety system.