Members of the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC), on Friday sensitised stakeholders in the education sector, on the importance of Schools Information Management System (SIMS), otherwise known as school portal, in Abia.
The corps members had an in-house Community Development Service(CDS) debate in Umuahia, to x-ray the importance of information management system within the educational sector in the state and beyond.
The event organised by the Education and ICT CDS Group in Umuahia North Local Government Area, drew participants from different schools within outside and outside the council area.
The Friday’s public debate, which took the presidential style, had four groups of corps members speak on the topic: “The Role and Impact of School Information Management System in the Development of Nigeria.”
The corps members, during the exciting debate, highlighted the features, benefits and call to action of their offerings of SIMS.
In a speech, Head, ICT NYSC Abia, Mr Chimaobi Okpanku, said the event was basically to unveil the second phase of the group CDS project.
Okpanku, who also is the Supervisor for the group, said the SIMS is a one stop shop that provides a single solution to automate every aspect of school administration.
He said that the group was working at unveiling a website for Abia NYSC, as well as procurement of a school sensitisation media system (SSMS).
According to him, the media system will allow easy and wider sensitisation of schools on the import of technology in the learning process.
Mrs Patience Nwokolo, NYSC Zonal Inspector, Umuahia, said that the corps members discovered that the state was lagging behind in SIMS and decided to initiate such a laudable project.
“It is a project that if successfully carried out, will save the schools a lot of stress and give them the opportunity to launch out globally,” she said.
Mr Tochukwu Onyemaizu, Coordinator, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Umuahia South council area, lauded the organisers, saying “It is something proprietors would benefit from in future.”
A corps member, Mr Theodore Bomi-Dore, who was the Chief Speaker of Group 3, expressed gratitude that his group clinched the first position in the debate.
He identified poor management of infrastructure as big challenge to schools in the state.
The NYSC State Coordinator, Mr Julius Ekeh, who was represented by Ms Ogechukwu Eze, congratulated the corps members on their initiative.
He appealed to individuals and groups to support the project, saying that the ambition was to get the state connected globally.
Highlight of the event was the demonstration of a functional school portal to be made available free for schools.
