Govt rolls out digital system to monitor school quality
ARUSHA: THE government has launched a Digital School Quality Management System to enhance efficiency, transparency and accountability in the education sector while improving the monitoring, evaluation and reporting of school performance across the country. The initiative, which also aims to streamline data collection, analysis and timely feedback to the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders, …
ARUSHA: THE government has launched a Digital School Quality Management System to enhance efficiency, transparency and accountability in the education sector while improving the monitoring, evaluation and reporting of school performance across the country.
The initiative, which also aims to streamline data collection, analysis and timely feedback to the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders, marks a major step in transforming the education sector through digital innovation.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Professor Carolyne Nombo, made the remarks in Arusha yesterday during the official opening of training on the use of the digital platform for education leaders at regional, council and school levels, including IT specialists.
Prof Nombo said the system will simplify access to information and allow education leaders to make informed decisions more efficiently.
She emphasised that the digital shift is essential for improving the performance of school inspectors and boosting educational outcomes.
“The government will continue to invest in IT professionals to ensure effective implementation of this digital system. The training you are undertaking—costing 1.2bn/- and covering all regions—reflects our commitment to achieving positive results in the education sector,” said Prof Nombo.
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She urged participants to embrace the system with patriotism and professionalism, adding that although only nine regions were initially covered, the training has now expanded to 17 regions and will continue until all are included.
“We must acknowledge that we are in a digital era. These systems are crucial for building capacity among education professionals and ensuring accountability, in line with education and training policies. The system will provide tools to support teaching and strategic priorities for performance monitoring,” she noted.
On his part, Mr Ephraim Simbeye, Director of School Quality Management at the Ministry, said the digital system will revolutionise how inspections and evaluations are conducted by replacing the cumbersome paper-based system.
“Previously, evaluations were time-consuming and resource-intensive. This new system simplifies data processing and ensures that accurate information is available in real-time,” he explained.
Mr Simbeye noted that the reform is expected to lead to improved learning outcomes by enabling education officers to focus more on quality improvements rather than administrative bottlenecks.
He also acknowledged the World Bank for financing the system’s development and Cambridge Education, through the Excellent Schools Project, for facilitating the training programmes.
He highlighted the broader benefits of the system, including its role in fostering community participation in school development by providing digestible summaries and reports on school performance.
“When fully operational, the system will enhance efficiency in data handling and allow for seamless monitoring from school to district level,” he said, adding that the previous methods had limitations in processing statistics and delayed reporting.