Using EdTech to Monitor Enrolment

Since the Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS) programme phase one began in 2013, it has been distributing Pupils’ Admission Registers (PARs) to schools to collect enrolment data for both learners and teachers. These physical registers were distributed to all GESS-supported schools across all ten states and the three administrative areas of South Sudan between 2013 and 2022.  

In 2023, GESS introduced a new approach to gathering enrolment data from schools, whereby GESS staff collected the data through tablets. These tablets sync data with the   Schools’ Attendance Monitoring System (SAMS). This means that the system can record near real-time enrolment data from across the country.  

Following this more direct approach, through which GESS staff would verify and input data in person, we have been able to reduce erroneous information, such as the inclusion of ’ghost names’ to receive more funding through the GESS cash transfers and capitation grants.  

Due to this strict verification of data, our staff have been able to find out where schools have been falsely inflating enrolment to receive additional support. For instance, a primary school in Northern Bahr el Ghazal saw a drop in enrolment of 200 – from 600 to 400 learners.  

This process ensures that only eligible girls – those enrolled in school and regularly attending classes Primary 5 to Senior 4 – are validated to receive a GESS cash transfer.  

“There were 203 girls that were on the cash transfer validation list, but when I did a thorough verification exercise, with assistance from School Officer, Mathiang, and Payam Education Supervisor, Peter Ubur. Only 43 girls were found to be eligible for payment in the school in question,” explained Jamesco, Team Leader in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state.   

This story highlights the importance of the cash transfer validation process, which relies on complete and accurate enrolment data. The cash transfer process can only begin once all enrolment data has been received, and these girls have been validated. This is a lengthy process and often means that the cash transfer payments begin towards the end of the enrolment year.  

The use of tablets should allow GESS staff in the states to quickly and efficiently collect enrolment and attendance data of learners across South Sudan. These digital tools and systems help to reduce errors in reporting and allow for real-time updates on the system.  

You can find out more about the SAMS system, and view key education data, here: http://www.sssams.org/

Categorised in: Cash Transfers, Human Interest Story, Quality Education