Bawumia launches SLIMS for NaSIA school’s inspection & licensing

Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has launched a School Licensing and Inspection Management System (SLIMS) to be used by the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA) to register, inspect, and evaluate public, private and pre-tertiary educational institutions.

The SLIMS developed by NaSIA is an innovative technological solution designed to revolutionise how all public and private pre-tertiary educational institutions are registered, inspected, and evaluated across the country.

Modules of SLIMS

The system is made up of different modules, with each designed to make the various Divisions of NaSIA work efficiently.

1. Module 1: School Licensing Module. It entails the automation of all the processes involved in the establishment and licensing of private schools. Every private school in Ghana has an account and will be able to submit their documentation for licensing.

2. Module 2: Inspection Module. All public and private schools’ data sit in this Module and enable NaSIA’s Inspectors to inspect schools and collect relevant data at the school, generate inspection reports and track the progress of schools. Every pre-tertiary school in Ghana will have an account and a dashboard for this Module to be able to review their own reports and progress.

3. Module 3: Administration Module. This Module will allow NaSIA to conduct all of its administrative processes online, such as fleet management of our inspection vehicles, laptops, tablets, and all logistics needed for inspections.

4. Module 4: Finance Module. This Module will allow NaSIA to conduct all of its financial transactions online, such as the payment of Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) to Inspectors, the payment of license fees, and other fees mandated by the Fees and Charges Act.

5. Module 5: The HR Module. This Module will manage all of NaSIA’s HR processes.

Objectives of SLIMS

1. Facilitate efficient and streamlined registration of schools

2. Cut down the amount of time Inspectors spend at a school completing paper forms

3. Ability to inspect more schools in a day (it was one school per day with paper, and now, three schools per day with technology)

4. Enable comprehensive and risk-based inspection of pre-tertiary schools

5. Enhance the evaluation of teaching and learning quality

6. Uphold and enforce educational standards in both public and private institutions

Features of SLIMS

1. Risk-Based Inspection Planning: Automated tools for effective inspection scheduling based on identified risks, ensuring optimal resource allocation.

2. Electronic Working Papers (EWP): Digitalization of inspection records, enabling inspectors to efficiently gather, store, and process data even in remote locations.

3. Real-Time Analytics and Reporting: Advanced analytics to monitor and report on inspection activities and school performances.

4. Integration with Government Services: Seamless integration with platforms like Ghana.gov, the Minister for Education’s dashboard for enhanced data sharing and collaboration.

Benefits of SLIMS

1. Data on Pre-tertiary Schools in Ghana: All data on public and private pre-tertiary schools in Ghana, from Kindergarten to Senior High School, sits in one place

2. Improved Educational Standards: By ensuring regular and thorough inspections, SLIMS directly contributes to elevating the quality of education across the nation

3. Enhanced Transparency and Accountability: Digital records and real-time reporting enhance the transparency of inspections, promoting accountability among educational institutions.

4. Cost Efficiency: Streamlining administrative processes reduces operational costs, saving valuable government resources.

5. Data-Driven Policy Making: Access to comprehensive data aids in informed decision-making at the government level, paving the way for impactful educational reforms.

Capabilities of SLIMS

1. Real-time data collection and submission at the school level

2. Automation of individual school inspection reports so that schools receive their inspection reports within a week of their inspections

3. Integration of statistical analysis tools leading to ease of quantitative data analysis and outputting of data

4. Ability to inspect more schools in a day, averaging two schools per day and an average individual school inspection report of ten (10) pages with a 3-page executive summary with SLIMS versus one (1) school per week and an average individual school report of forty-six (46) pages with paper

5. Huge cost saving stemming from the reduced amount of time Inspectors have to spend at a school and the resources they would have had to use

6. Each school in Ghana has individual login access and a dashboard where they can retrieve their reports, and licenses and also correspond with NaSIA. SLIMS is integrated with the Minister’s dashboard and is able to submit data seamlessly to the Minister’s dashboard

7. Facilitate efficient and streamlined licensing of schools

8. Cut down the amount of time Inspectors spend at a school completing paper forms

9. Enable comprehensive and risk-based inspection of pre-tertiary schools

10. Enhance the quality of teaching and learning

11. Uphold and enforce educational standards in both public and private institutions

The SLIMS NaSIA says, has not only streamlined its operations but has also significantly contributed to the government’s broader objectives of enhancing the quality of education and promoting a culture of accountability and transparency in public services.