Jammu, Dec 31, 2016: To create a single source of readily available database for policy-making, evaluation and distribution of resources, the state education department on Saturday launched the internet-based School Management Information System (SMIS).

Launched by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, the SMIS developed by the Education Department is an integrated technology framework that automates the entire end-to-end management of school education and its related information in the state.

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SMIS is a digital initiative which includes both e-management of schools and e-learning of students.

Education Minister Naeem Akhtar said here on Saturday that SMIS is a repository for data collection, processing, analysing and reporting of educational information including schools, students, teachers and staff of each and every school in the state.

"It will provide administrators and teachers with the information required for informed planning, policy-making and evaluation. It will also empower the local communities to get involved in their children's education," he said.

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"SMIS will be the largest e-governance initiative in J&K with a huge base of stakeholders involving 33% of total employees of the state and around 26 lakh students," the minister said.

"SMIS provides readily available digital details of all the 28,000 schools in the state, their location, type of school, number of classrooms, toilets, library, science labs, boundary wall, number of teachers, number of students, teacher-student ratio," Akhtar said.

"SMIS will help in scientific rationalisation of staff and space in schools, helping deployment of subject and qualification wise teachers. It also keep track of the academic performance of the schools, students, enrolment and dropout rate," he added.

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The minister said given its large school system spread across length and breadth of the state the absence of a reliable database had resulted in poor decision-making, lack of transparency and accountability, uneven infrastructure and non-reliable teacher and student records, which compromise the larger goal of quality education. (IANS)