Single Platform facility for the Plus-One admission ensuring more accuracy and transparancy
√ Centralized allotment process for admissions to higher secondary courses were piloted in Thiruvananthapuram district during 2007-08 was implemented by Directorate of Higher Secondary Education. National Informatics Center, Kerala has developed the application. The technical co-ordination was carried out by the IT@School Project. The current year will see the system being rolled out in all the 14 districts of Kerala to ensure Transparency, Effectiveness and Social Justice.
√ The single window system will cover about 1.5 lakhs seats in Government and aided schools under the Open Merit quota, including Reserved seats for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Backward Classes.
√ A user-friendly system requires a student to file only one application in any of the schools, for admission to any of the schools or subject combinations in the district.
√ Options for 60 preferences of school and subject combinations could be marked on the application.
√ Schools receiving the applications should upload the data to the website of the Higher Secondary Education Department and the Directorate would publish the selection lists on the site.
√ Re-allotments would be done for unfilled seats. Students who get admissions on their lower options could wait for re-allotment or cancel their higher options. Admissions of those canceling higher options would be confirmed.
√ Fee would be accepted only on confirmation of the admissions.
√ The admission process is transparent. Grades and weighted grade point average of students with rankings would be available on the website for verification.
√ Around 2,000 IT officials and teachers are involved in the implementation of the Higher Secondary Single Window admission system, the software for which has been developed by the National Informatics Centre.
√ Apart from its experimental implementation in Thiruvananthapuram district last year, this is the first-of-its-kind centralized allotment procedure for higher secondary admission in the country.
A Single Window System to make School IT Labs fully functional
√ Such an event is for the First Time in Kerala
√ Clinics in 38 Educational Districts covering all High Schools
√ 2800 School IT Co-ordinators to be trained in Hardware maintenance to equip them to handle hardware issues in schools
√ Around 2500 computers will be functional through this process. Additional 2500 computers for Hardware study.
Context
IT@School Project has conducted a detailed survey in all High Schools to asses the IT infrastructure in the schools.
Major findings of school survey
√ A total number of about 50,000 computers are available in schools.
√ The survey revealed that 90 % of computers are working properly. 5% are not working, but repairable / upgradable. 5 % are not working and not-repairable ( dumpable)
√ Schools don’t have an internal mechanism for maintenance. School IT Co-ordinators were not trained to handle these issues. Often Schools have to out source these works to private parties and to spend a huge amount ( in some cases, for minor problems the private parties may charge huge amount). Many of the schools don’t have enough money in the IT Advisory council account or in the PTA fund. In short, Lab Maintenance became a major headache for schools.
Strategy worked out
IT@School considered this problem with at most important and discussed two strategies
√ Initially Project thought of working out a maintainanace plan with KELTRON. Keltron officers will visit all schools and do the maintenance / replacement / additional supply activities. This process seems to be time consuming and hence we dropped it.
√ Next strategy : So IT@School decided to conduct ‘Hardware Clinics’ in all Educational Districts ( 38 Nos). For this School IT Co-ordinators shall bring the repairable / dumpable machines to the nearest points. So all the schools within that districts will be getting their hardware repaired / upgraded within 2-3 days.
√ IT@School Project shall bear all the expenses related with this.
√ DPI has issues a detailed circular for hardware clinics which is available at http://itschool.gov.in/PDF/DPI%20Circular-Hardware%20Clinic-13-8-08.pdf
Along with the Clinic we are giving hardware Training to all School IT Co-ordinators
√ For this 52 Master Trainers, ( in all districts) have already given Hardware Training. Training programmes for 54 more MTs are scheduled for September 2008
√ At least one Teacher from a school ( around 2800 ) will be trained in Hardware Repairing and Maintenance by October 2008. These training programmes will be conducted educational district wise and starts from 18th August 2008.
√ At the end of these clinic schools will get almost 2500 computers additional for use in schools
√ An additional number of around 2500 computers ( which are not working ) shall be used for teaching internal parts of computers.
First Clinic
The First Hardware Clinic was inaugurated by Director of Public Instruction A P M Mohammed Hanish at Regional Resource Center of IT@School at Ernakulam on 16th August. Executive Director, K Anvar Sadath chaired the function. The clinic will continue till 17th August and we expect around 200 Machines for the maintenance / upgradation. We are planning to complete the clinics in all educational districts by September itself.
Scheme to ensure broadband internet
connectivity to all schools so as to equip them for ICT enabled learning.
In General
The launch of Broadband internet scheme to all schools in Kerala was held at PR Chamber, Secretariat, Thiruvananthapuram on 09-12-2007 by Shri.M.A.Baby, Hon'ble Minister of Education and Culture. The Project has already entered into an agreement with BSNL for providing Internet facility to all Government schools. BSNL had committed to provide Broadband services to each of the above institutions with special tariff package as detailed below: -
Fixed monthly charges : Rs 500/-
Annual payment option : Rs 5000/-
Security Deposit : Waived off
Modem rental : “
Installation charges : “
Free Down load / up load limit : 3 GB / month
Additional usage / Mb : Rs 0.80
up load / download limit will be calculated on aggregate basis (as N x 3 GB, where N is the number of broadband connections availed). For the usage above free upload / download limit additional usage charge of Rs 0.80 per MB will be levied
Number of email mailboxes / connection is one with email box size 5 MB each.
Modem will have four Ethernet ports and NAT facility
Government of Kerala will handover the request for each connection to Nodal officer in Trivandrum along with the fixed charges for one year / one month (as the case may be) after ascertaining the technical feasibility.
Advantages
√ This will help the students & teachers to familiarize with available Internet services like e-Mail, Chat, Website creation, Blog creation etc.
√ IT @ School is implementing various e-governance initiatives like Service & Payroll Administrative Repository for Kerala (SPARK), Noon Meal Computerization etc. for which the connectivity is indispensable.
√ BSNL has given special tariff for Internet connection with a waiver for Security Deposit, Modem rental and installation charges.The annual payment option to one school for Internet charges being Rs.5,000.
√ Detailed guidelines and handbooks for using Internet services, resources and also for ensuring safe and secure browsing in Schools is being provided by IT@School.
√ The BSNL Scheme enables centralized monitoring.
Online system
for the transfer and posting of Head Master/Assistant Educational Officers in the state
In General
The E-Governance initiative undertaken by IT@School Project to make the transfer and posting of Headmasters and Assistant Educational Officers of all Government High Schools/TTI in Kerala online ensures the entire transfer and posting process in general category with in weeks. The General Education Department is the first Govt. Dept to initialize and complete such an online E-Governance initiative. The Transfer and posting of officers is made entirely on merit of seniority and without any external intervention.
Detailed process
√ The applicant can register online and submit all his relevant details in form published in website www.education.kerala.gov.in along with an user id and password
√ The applicant can log in and modify details whenever he likes till April 18th 2008
√ After the stipulated date, the application was made available online to DEO/DD to verify the details. On verification the DD rejects/recommends/ with priority the application forms.
√ After scrutiny the transfer list is published on website based entirely on service details.
√ There were 2 options for transfer. The applicant can either ask for 3 schools on priority basis and if that fails he can go for 3 Educational districts of his choice on priority basis.
Advantages
√ The transfer and posting system made more transparent and speedy
√ Recommendations and external interventions were completely avoided
√ Digitalization of transfer and posting process
Brings in more transparency and effective implementation of the noon meal distribution system in schools.
The computerization of the Noon meal scheme has provided more systematic availability of data base. As the scheme was introduced for making the system more effective. With the same allotment of food inventory better meals can be served for the students. The effective output is that the regionwise requirement can be analyzed effectively and more effective utilization of the available food inventory is possible in a cost effective manner.
About Noon meal Scheme
Noon Meal Scheme currently being implemented at the school level for providing one time meal every working day to deserving students in the schools.
The Noon Meal Scheme is on course in about 14000 Government, Aided High schools in the State and has an implementation scope for around 50 lakh students.
Current process
The Noon Meal Scheme is carried out at the Assistant Education Office level. The principals of the concerned schools give the requirement and the AEO approves and pass intent to the school which receives the supply from the nearest Maveli store.
The consolidated inlet bill from Civil Supplies Corporation is forwarded to DPI where the amount is passed.
Computerisation Process
The intent for allotment of food supplies to each school will be generated online. The intent will be generated based on the current requirement of the school, as well as based on the early record of food quantum. The AEO/DEO will be allotted a User Name and Login Password to enter the details of the Noon Meal and by corresponding can generate intent. This will result in total digitalization of the entire scheme.
Advantage
√ Puts in place a speedy and effective means of intent passing.
√ Optimization of the supply of food inventories and reduces the wastage
√ Cost Effective
√ Facilitates speedy transaction of money between Departments
√ Makes the system more transparent
Online system for ordering of text books for un-aided schools based on the number of students.
√ An Online system for smooth supply of Textbooks to unaided schools ensures that the there is no shortage of textbooks in schools
√ The Government schools receive textbooks on subsidized rates. There are unaided schools procuring the textbooks at subsidized rates from the quota of the government schools, which in turns results in shortage of Textbook in Government school which creates shortage and inconvenience for students in Government schools.
√ The Online system requires a registration of the unaided schools and indenting for their requirements thereby avoiding delays in the normal supply to government schools.
Advantages
√ The system is more transparent, fast and effective means of ordering and supply of textbooks
√ Helps in analyzing actual requirement of textbook in schools
√ Reduces the shortage of textbook and ensures that the students receive their textbook on √ time.
Service and Payroll Administrative Repository for Kerala (SPARK) has been developed by National Informatics Centre based on State Government decision to implement an Integrated Personnel and Payroll Management System covering all government departments in the state.
The pilot phase the package was first implemented in the Government Secretariat. After evaluating the success of the pilot phase, Government have decided to extend the same to all other Departments. Now the implementation of SPARK is in progress in a lot of Departments.
The IT@School Project is the implementing agency for SPARK in General Education. The data entry of all districts is almost completed and the salary bill of major highschools are now being taken by vite of this. Details of almost 63,000 high school staff has already been entered in to the database. The General Education is the largest implemting department of this innovative e-governence initiative of Kerala state.
Using SPARK the following reports can be generated.
1. Registering the Service Book of the employee and allotting Permanent
Employee Number (PEN). Thereafter PEN will be the important code to
identify the employee in the SPARK database.
2. Capturing the details of Loans, Advances and other subscriptions like LIC,
SLI, GIS, FBS etc
3. Processing establishment Salary and generation of salary bills and
schedules.
4. Processing SDO salary and generation of bills and schedules.
5. Issuing salary slips
6. Processing arrear salary, arrear DA etc
7. Sanctioning Increment
8. Processing leave salary and generation of bills.
9. Assessing professional tax
10. Revising salary on promotion
11. Relieving employees on deputation by the donor department and admitting
in the recipient department.
12. Sanctioning leaves, other than casual leave
13. Processing Income Tax and generating different statutory forms.
14. Issuing Identity Cards
Click here to download the user manual of SPARK
|