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4.2.1. Human resources, skill and knowledge

Pre-primary and primary education statistics
57. At the central level, the Management Information Section (MIS unit of DPE),
which is responsible for processing the school census questionnaires, is composed of
one MIS Manager under PEDP-1, one computer programmer (regular) and one
statistician who oversee and maintain the EMIS databases which include data from pre-
primary to primary education. They have appropriate educational qualifications for their
respective positions. The statistician in the MIS Section has a Master’s degree in
statistics as academic qualification. In terms of experience in the area of education
statistics, this statistician has more than six years of experience including database
management. The DPE recently recruited two statistical officers under PEDP II
programme. Though they are knowledgeable in database management, they are unable
to maintain and adapt the existing EMIS database application due to limited knowledge
and skill in advanced database management. Data entry task has been carried out by
13 full-time data entry staff.

58. Normally, district primary education offices have computer facilities and
installed school census database software developed in MIS unit of DPE. One data
entry operator in this office enters and updates school census forms but there is no one
dealing with statistics and use of the information. The functions of EMIS in the Upazila
education office are mostly limited to support the process of data collection.

59. In the decentralisation of the EMIS, it is assumed that local level offices will
take more assertive roles and responsibilities to undertake the EMIS functions such as
processing the data of their areas, producing local education reports. However, it has
been noted that there are discrepancies between local offices in terms of adequate
staffing and also there is high turnover of staff at local education officer level. The
relevant skills development programme does not correspond to the decentralisation
process that initiated the transfer of part of EMIS functions to divisional and district
levels. In this regard, significant staff capacity and capability gaps are to be foreseen.

60. Staff at the district level who are assigned to the EMIS (data entry operator)
have basic computer skills, such as operating the computer or elementary knowledge of
the spreadsheet and word processor. However, they seem to lack the knowledge and
skills on managing the database, such as querying and producing reports that are
essential for facilitating the local-level planning. Moreover, the statistical analytical skills
for educational planning, such as understanding and using education indicators and
enrolment projection, virtually do not exist and need to be introduced at the district-level,
as well as at the divisional-level offices.

61. The absence of training in the use of Microsoft Access, the software in which
the database has been developed, makes it impossible for the regional- and district-
level staff to fully exploit the database. They do not seem to use information from the
district EMIS database. Data are derived manually from the paper questionnaires of

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