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<b><span lang="EN-US">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> press-releases-bounces@lists.spc.int [mailto:press-releases-bounces@lists.spc.int]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>SPC Media<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, 23 March 2017 12:37 PM<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [SPC-News] PACIFIC COMMUNITY DIGITALIZES EDUCATION DATA COLLECTION IN KIRIBATI<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:13.0pt">MEDIA RELEASE <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">
<b><span style="font-size:18.0pt">Pacific Community digitalizes education data collection in Kiribati</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">
<b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">23 March 2017
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Tarawa, Kiribati</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"> – Kiribati Education Ministry officials have recently been trained by the Pacific
Community (SPC) to use tablets for collecting data that would inform the education sector’s performance.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">SPC Education Management Information’s Systems Team Leader, Scott Pontifex explained that the officials and outer island representatives were trained to use the
tablets for data collection from schools for important statistical reporting against the Sustainable Development Goals and Pacific Education Development Framework for example, as well as tracking performance of schools and the Ministry of Education (MOE) against
the sector’s operational and strategic plans. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Digitizing this process would allow the ministry officials to assess and address the accuracy of the data before it is submitted to their headquarters Information
Management System, resulting in efficient data verification, increased reporting on data oriented performance indicators, and reduced lead and turnaround times for decisions on previously unanalysed data.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Data will now be verified in the field rather than requiring the ministry headquarters to question the data and wait for a response from schools, eliminating long
waits due to limited connectivity and the expanse of islands.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">The ministry would now be able to report against 75 per cent of their data-orientated performance indicators with the remainder of indicators awaiting changes to
legislation and training of school leaders by another programme. Previously, the ministry could only report against 25 per cent of their data-orientated performance indicators.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Mr Pontifex stated that data collection lead times would be reduced from 12 months to under six months, adding that some data previously collected on paper forms
that were never analysed will be available for decision-making in three to four weeks e.g. student and teacher attendance data.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Data will also be transferred from the field using mobile data connections, or Wi-Fi connections at the Island Councils or senior secondary schools.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Mr Pontifex<span style="color:red">
</span>explained that while tablets use the internet to synchronize with MOE to receive questionnaire assignments and transmit the collected data, they do not need a continuous connection.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">The collected data remains on the tablet until it is possible for the (IEC) Island Education Coordinator to reconnect to the internet and synchronize with the ministry.
If internet services are broken for any reason the tablets will be returned to the ministry, where data is removed and the tablet reissued.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">SPC is issuing 27 tablets to the MOE of which 18 will be issued to officials based in the outer islands. The remaining nine tablets will be held at the ministry
for Tarawa-based Education officers who are responsible for the South Tarawa schools as needed and to ensure availability of tablets at headquarters that can also be used as replacements.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify">
<b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Media contacts:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt">Scott Pontifex SPC Education Management Information’s Systems Team Leader,
<a href="mailto:scottp@spc.int">scottp@spc.int</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt">Solo Matthewsella<b> </b> SPC<b> </b>Public Relations Assistant
<a href="mailto:solomonim@spc.int">solomonim@spc.int</a><b> </b>or +679 9360 903<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify">
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">About Us:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">SPC is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, supporting sustainable development since 1947. It is an intergovernmental development organisation owned and governed
by its 26 country and territory members.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:12.0pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;color:red"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:12.0pt;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;color:red"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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