New software provider selected for SA preschools

Civica Education has been selected to provide a digital management solution by the South Australian Government to form a new Education Management System (EMS) to the state’s preschools and schools.

The SA Government said that the EMS will provide a new platform to deliver enhanced information and communications technology (ICT) capabilities to all preschools and state schools, and will be an important enabler for school improvement and the aspiration to become a world-class education system.

The SA Department for Education is looking to pilot the new system with up to ten preschools and schools in the first half of 2019 to ensure its design and functionality meets their needs. This will inform the broader rollout to more than 900 sites.

Parents and caregivers will have access to a dedicated and secure parent portal that they can log on to at any time and from any device to see information relevant to their child.

Key features of Civica’s solution include:

• A single student record that captures all the relevant information about a child’s progress in the public education system
• Easier recording of enrolments, family information and movement between schools
• A teacher toolkit to make it simpler to record attendance, behaviour management, prepare reports, plan and communicate  
• High-quality timetabling and scheduling tools
• A learning management system to make it easier to track and report on student learning, homework and assignments
• Financial management tools to support budgeting, invoicing and procurement
• A parent/caregiver portal with 24-hour access to timetables, homework, notifications, events, attendance and achievement
• School administration tools to support site and facilities management
• Business analytics to provide teachers, principals, education directors and the department with reports and data to support and guide decision making.

Civica Pty Ld was selected following an open-market process. The company provides school management systems to approximately 6,000 schools, colleges and library customers globally.

SA Department of Education Chief Information Officer Scott Bayliss said “The Education Management System is a powerful digital tool with a comprehensive suite of features to streamline school management tasks and reduce the administrative burden placed on teachers and early childhood [educators].

“Schools and preschools can expect a world-class Education Management System that will improve the connection with parents and caregivers and importantly help them to remain focused on their core business of teaching and learning.”