Education Ministry says Student Registration System geared to Efficiency

MANDEVILLE — Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Grace McLean, says the newly implemented National Student Registration System (NSRS) is geared towards the efficient use of resources and to ease registration challenges in the education system.

She said that it will significantly reduce registration challenges experienced every year in the education system; speed up the registration process for examinations, at primary and secondary levels; allow more time for data verification and greater accuracy; and lead to more efficient use of resources in ordering textbooks, school feeding grant allocation and tuition fees.

“One registration will be done, and verification done on a quarterly basis,” she told a function on Saturday May 21, at the Chinese International Restaurant, Mandeville, in honour of Hugh Nash, who served the Mile Gully School as chairman of the board for 30 years.

Mrs. Mclean said that the system will also reduce costs associated with registration and re-registration of students for each examination over their school life, as it will facilitate tracking of students' and system's performance, and allow for better allocation of resources.

“The unique identification number system represents another strategy of the Ministry of Education, in its emphasis on data-driven decision making, to ensure that a student can be tracked through the primary and secondary levels of the system,” Mrs. McLean explained.

Describing the system as one that would ensure accuracy, she said it was one of many initiatives being implemented by the education ministry to improve management in education delivery, and provide security for students.

“It should enable the development of legislation around the process of school registration and student record-keeping, to ensure that accurate information is available on each student in the system with the necessary security and access levels in place,” she stated.

She urged school board chairmen to work with the Principals to provide close scrutiny to the management of resources, such as the national text book programme and the national school feeding programme.

“It becomes super important, that our board chairmen are familiar with the various pieces of legislations that are there to guide operations. The Financial Audit Accountability Act, the Public Bodies and Management Act, the Government procurement guidelines, as well as the staff orders and the Education Act, are very important for proper governance,” she said.

She stated that the Ministry of Education is serious about improving the system, and would do all that is necessary to ensure improvement.

“These things cannot happen without strong boards, without strong board chairmen, principals and teachers who share the vision and are operating with a common purpose, which is that of improving the system,” she concluded.

By GARFIELD L. ANGUS