Introduction
Oman Educational Portal SMS service is a part of a comprehensive electronic system in the educational portal, In order to provide this service to the citizens contracts were signed between MoE and the Telecom Operators (Oman Mobile & Nawras) technically the service is connected with Telecom Operators through VPN using standard web service. The Data provided is maintained in MoE central data base and it is available 24/7 with highly support system example: security alert, call center, technical support…etc. This service can be utilized with all MoE Stakeholders: Employees, teachers, parents and students. The service is formulated to send messages through both methods: push and pull messages. Currently the service is providing the following:
Pull EP user name & password: This service has been designed for those who lost their EP user name and password. It has a significant impact of facilitation
Pull Students ID: this service is used by the parents to subscribe in the EP SMS Service where parents can receive instant messages from the Educational Portal for example: students' absence, students' results, invitation to visit school for educational discussion and enhancement of the children performance.
Push short Dismissed SMS: a subscriber parent can receive an instant message from the school notifying him that his child is dismissed from the school due to some in behave conducts.
Push and pull students results: this service is available for the subscribers and non subscribers, it sends instant messages to the subscribing parents notifying them their children school results and for non subscribers they can pull it.
Push and pull students absence: this service is available for the subscribers and non subscribers; it sends instant messages to the subscribing parents notifying them their children absence and for non subscribers can pull it.
Pull students class details (New): this service is design to those parents who wants to visit their children schools and the do not know their classes.
7. Push & pull students elective modules (New)
This service sends elective modules that been selected by the student and parents can pull this information.
8. Push & pull Students activities (New):
The service send instant message to parent informing him about the school activity that his child selected.
In order to pull these services parents have to send SMS with a specific code to a specific number but his GSM number has to be registered in the EP.
In addition to user name & password service employees are provided with following services:
Push transferring condition message:
This service is currently free of charge as it aims to notify employees whether if their transfer request is (approved or pending or rejected)
Moreover MoE SMS system provides bulk SMS service which is used to send different messages to different people and we are in MoE use it as a media tool or channel to reach educational environment (Parents, students, teachers and all other MoE staff) the system contains contacts addresses for the above mentioned people where it is easy to call their GSM numbers and send them different messages based on the occasions or the requirements.
In order to maintain improvements and enhancements of the SMS service MoE has appointed an in house employee who is only dedicated for the SMS project.
Main Features
1- Accessibility:
MoE SMS service has provides remote access to the stakeholders and it has enabled them to pull information from anywhere at any time.
2- Availability:
It is undoubted that mobile network is wide-spreading than the internet network and mobile handset is also wide-spreading than the other devices like desk top and laptop these two elements stimulate users to exploit MoE SMS service knowing that information needed and technical support are 24/7 available.
3- Knowledge of use:
It is difficult to find someone who doesn’t know how to use the basic mobile applications especially the SMS application. This feature has added value to the service and make it easier and simple to use; for this MoE is interested to develop and enrich this service with more smart services.
4- Cut down the cost:
A- Cost of time:
MoE SMS service has terminated many classical procedures that were practiced in MoE before the existence of mobile service for example:
Parents are no more worried about their children attendance to the school in case of absence they will be instantly informed or notified by text message not only that students can no more hide their results from their parents because parents will be updated immediately once the results are ready. We can notice here that parents are automatically in touch with the school irrespective of their attendance or visitation to their children school from this dimension we can say time is saved.
B- Cut down financial cost:
SMS service has reduces the cost of some services in MoE due to the utilization of the digital service for example: MoE SMS service has minimized printing of students results report and it has also minimized printing parents invitation papers, not only that but with this service parents can save fuel when driving to school…
5- Reduce traffic jam and minimize causes of road accidents:
MoE SMS service has played an important role to reduce traffic jam on the school path…Usually there is a big traffic jam among the sultanate on the day of releasing student results all parents were rushing to school when students’ results are published which causes traffic jam. But since the SMS service and EP was introduced traffic jam near schools dramatically reduced and the service shows more progress in this regards.
6- Empower women:
The term empowering woman has been demanded by many international organizations like UN. And as we know that some female gender (Mothers) they feel shy to approach male or boys schools due to the culture issues and this was creating a gap between the schools and the surrounded community but with the existents of SMS service some of the mentioned boundaries were eliminated and we have noticed a great impact from the SMS service on the communication between the schools and the surrounded communities on the other hand this shall enhance students performance and establish a cordial relationship between the two entities.
7- Central DB & unified updates:
MoE enjoys with one central DB where it is secured and accurate… all updated data entered are saved in one DB center so there is no chance of redundancy or duplication during pushing or pulling SMS messages.
There is also a history track for messages all messages pushed or pulled can be tracked whether by date or SMS title.
8- Profit returned:
Since That TRA policy stipulate that SMS service is subject to TAX therefore MoE and the Telecom operators decided to put a tariff for the service in terms of subscription and pull service and according to that the revenue shared is divided between three organizations (MoF, MoE and Telecom company) and usually MoE use it is portion for development of the service and for advertising and marketing.
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