Data system to enhance efficiency when picking schools

Kenya Private Schools Association officials Mutheu Kasanga (left) and Mr Peter Ndoro address journalists during the association’s Directors’ Meeting at Noble Hotel in Eldoret town on October 15, 2015. The association has launched a system that makes it easier for students and parents to search and identify schools. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  OUMA WANZALA

What you need to know:

  • Somanet seeks to ease the pain and rush most parents go through especially when the national examinations are announced.
  • The concept was informed by the need to accelerate the growth of education in the country.

Private schools have unveiled an online information and marketing platform that links parents and learners to a data system through which identification and application for admission is easier.

The idea, dubbed Somanet, seeks to ease the pain and rush most parents go through especially when the national examinations are announced.

Through the platform, all Kenya Private Schools Association members supply the lobby with information about their school, contacts, performance history and fee structure helping applicants to make a sound decision when applying.

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QUALITY SERVICES

Any request or application made gets instant response through the email address provided or via a text message.

"The information parents are always looking for when selecting a school for their children can be determined," Mr George Thuo, Somanet systems implementation manager, said.

Somanet has been developed by Kensoft Business Systems, and so far nearly 10,000 private institutions have signed up.

"Currently, the platform is designed for the kindergartens, private primary schools, secondary schools and teacher training colleges.

"The system seeks to provide high quality mobile and web services to private schools to solve emerging operational challenges," Mr Thuo said.

CUSTOMISATION
He added that the concept was buoyed by the need to look at the education sector as an industry with a lot of potential that can help accelerate the growth of education in the country.

Currently, most parents rely on referrals to get the right schools for their children, hence likely to act on misinformation.

"The good thing about this platform is that it is customized in a way that when you send an inquiry you get instant response since we already have data from Kenya Private School Association, which we have synchronized under Somanet platform," Mr Thuo added.

VALUE ADDITION
The schools can sign up as a single institution or a group using different packages such as Bronze, Gold, Silver and Platinum.

Going forward, KPSA says it intends to unveil a teacher’s portal where their members can upload their résumé and scout for employment opportunities in the member schools.

The other one will be the suppliers' portal that seeks to seal the gap between potential buyers and sellers of goods and services to promote efficiency.

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