Education Management Information Systems Unit (EMIS)
The operations of the EMIS are still centralized, all data is processed at national office. However efforts are being made to ensure that such operations take place at regional offices and decentralised. It has a small local area network, with 12 workstations. This is where most data processing is done. All data is submitted to this unit through the Regional Education Offices (REO). This is through questionnaires that are sent to schools through the REOs. The vision is to have data capture and analysis capacity in the regions so data can also be used a grassroots level.
Its core function is data, statistics and information. The unit does undertake research especially with regards to finding out about the status and/or health of the education system The EMIS is a management tool, as the saying goes, “One cannot measure or monitor something that cannot be measured”, and the tool for measurement in education is the EMIS.
EMIS Vision
To ensure that the Ministry of Education and Training has adequate data and information on the education system for informed policy making and decision making.
EMIS Mission Statement
Strengthen the management capacity of the Ministry of Education and Training through provision of clear, well defined, accessible, accurate, timely, relevant, strategic data and information of high quality.
Mandate:
The Educational Management Information Systems Unit (EMIS) under the Ministry of Education and Training is responsible for:
a. Collection of data and information from the education and training sector both public and private for educational and statistical purposes. The unit runs to main surveys each year on general education
i. The 16th Day Survey which is undertaken after 15 days of schooling. This is a snap survey to inform the Ministry of new trends in the system;
ii. The annual education census (AEC) which is undertaken on the last day of school in March each year. Our census data in March 31st. This is the main survey which leads to the publication of a report.
iii. The unit is also charged with data collection for the ECCD, which is first level of education. It is also in the process of formalising data collection at post secondary and tertiary levels of education.
b. Production and dissemination of education statistics respecting scientific independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably.
i. Report on educational indicators which have been identified locally to monitor the Ministry’s progress towards nationally set targets;
ii. Report to international agencies such as the UNESCO Institute for Statistics;
iii. Operate under the national statistical framework.
c. The management the register of all educational institutions registered with the Ministry of Education and Training. A National Directory of Educational Institutions will also be issued by the Ministry through the EMIS.
d. Promote the use of information internally and externally by sharing of data and information with all stakeholders, including civil society;
i. Support the planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the education system;
ii. Support to the equitable allocation of resources;
iii. Enhance sound decision and policy making in the Ministry through provision of timely and relevant data;
e. Undertaking of educational research and surveys. Currently it is responsible for the Southern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) project. This is a consortium of Ministries in South and Eastern Africa who are doing educational research.
f. Supporting the Monitoring and Evaluation function of the Ministry of Education and Training. This includes core programmes such as the Free Primary Education (FPE).
Current Issues
1. The unit currently operates through a very limited budget. The budget is under the office of the principal secretary and is dependent on the allocation to that same office. It does not have a “ringed budget”
2. The unit is currently being revamped through an EU funded project. A larger proportion of its budget is catered for through the SET project. The project is in the process of procuring equipment for the national and regional offices.
3. A new data entry and analysis system for basic and general education is being developed and populated through the SET project and through support from the ADEA Working Group for Policy Support.
a. One of the key stakeholders in this activity is UNICEF which is funding the current populating of the systems.
b. This system is developed under guidance from the UNESCO institute and has been pegged to the International Standards of the Classification of Education (ISCED 97), which is a UNESCO requirement;
4. Swaziland has undergone the Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF) which is led by UNESCO and the IMF. It is currently reviewing its structure and operations based on this assessment. This is to ensure that its data and statistics match international standards. The unit is also part of the national statistical framework.
This means that Swaziland has been classified under the International Standard for Classification of Education (ISCED). This means that our local education system can easily be compared to any system in the world. This makes international reporting on education more standard.
5. Under SACMEQ the unit is in the process of drafting the SACMEQ III project-report. This is a report that looks into the conditions associated with quality primary education. This report and 14 other reports from east and southern Africa will be presented to Ministers of Education in the next UNESCO general Conference.
6. The EMIS is also a holder of the SACMEQ Award of merit which was awarded to it in October 2009, during the Ministers of SACMEQ Conference which was held in Paris, France. This award was for the quality of the work done during the data processing stage.
7. The unit is currently working towards publication of its annual surveys and having some of the data highlights presented in the MOET site. A smaller site that will be laden with data is being developed. Access to this site will be through the official site. Since the web management is also under this unit, the contents will undergo the same scrutiny as the main site.