The education management system which acts as a central data repository for schoolchildren at primary and secondary level in Scotland is being “significantly enhanced” with a new connectivity deal.
SEEMiS, the nationwide system that administers pupil and staff records among Scotland’s 32 local authorities, has appointed Commsworld to provide ‘significant extra capacity, as well as a more resilient and robust service’.
The Scottish Government-run service, based in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, will benefit from the company’s ultra-fast UK-wide optical core network.
The system provides day-to-day digital administrative support for teachers, education officials and public sector bodies including local authorities and government.
Its Click+Go service offers a wide range of modules to support pupil and staff record management including nursery application management system (NAMS), attendance, pastoral notes, tracking, monitoring and reporting.
An example is through the recording of attendance at all primaries and secondaries, as well as most nurseries throughout Scotland, allowing school administrators to contact, via text message, parents and carers as required.
Resilience is important as the system enables public bodies to compile the most up to date figures for reports on, for instance, pupil attendance, and absences due to Covid.
Commsworld uses ‘dark fibre’ which allows for low latency levels, meaning the process of data transference from end to end is more resilient, secure, flexible and agile.
Charles Quinn, chief commercial officer for Commsworld, said: “We are delighted to have agreed this contract with SEEMiS Group. SEEMiS is a vital resource for schools and education administrators the length and breadth of the country. So it is vital that SEEMiS has the best connectivity that can be provided, connectivity that is 100% resilient.
“Commsworld can provide SEEMiS with this through our own network, as we manage the process of data transference from end to end. By operating our own core equipment over dark fibre, this allows us to maintain full control and deliver massively scalable bandwidth whilst keeping latency across Scotland and the UK as low as physically possible.
“The role that digital and data connectivity plays in education today has never been more important. So it is heartening that as a business SEEMiS is fully embracing the connectivity we have to offer.”