MalaysiaGIS.com

Source: New Straits Times

Called EduGIS, the application translates data and information onto a map - making it easy for officers to carry out their duties in education management.

Federal Territory education director Yaacob Wan Ibrahim said the application, which is a first among the country's State education departments, will assist officers in making decisions for teacher posting and identifying land for school development.

"If we were to transfer a teacher to a new school, we could refer to the system to find which school is most suitable to its address and other details.

We can also use the information within the system for co-curriculum and curriculum activities," he told Computimes in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

Yaacob said the initiative is in line with the department's vision and mission to utilise information and communications technology (ICT) tool.

"We are getting assistance and endorsement from the Prime Minister's Department, through the Federal Territory Development Division, under its 'Application Geographical Information System for the Klang Valley and Federal Territory' project," he said, adding that the software for the project are being provided by the Land and Cooperative Ministry.

According to Yaacob, the department also plans to put a student registration application, E-Daftar, online once the SchoolNet initiative is rolled out.

The application, which was completed last year and was used to register Primary One students at individual schools this year, helps to profile and track students' progress.

It has also shortened the registration process from six to three months.

Yaacob said the department is also stressing focus on ICT in schools.

"Those which are not under the smart school programme are encouraged to take their initiative to source for computers and computer equipment which can be done through smart partnerships organised by parent-teacher associations," he said.

He also said that another ICT project the department has is E-Store, which is being implemented to help the department manage its inventory.

Yaacob was earlier present during the visit of Intel Corp's chief executive officer Datuk Craig R. Barret to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Padang Tembak, one of the schools equipped with Intel Centrino mobile technology-based notebook computers under the Ministry's five year technology integration plan.

The plan involves Wi-Fi enabling all schools in efforts to improve teaching techniques.