The digitisation of education has been going on for quite some time. Because of COVID-19, online lessons and distance education have become the rule rather than the exception, so we can say that the education sector has made strides in this area. This was necessary, of course. Apart from distance education, the education sector still has a long way to go when it comes to safe, efficient and transparent digital working. At the front end, it all looks digital, but at the back end, there is still a lot of room for improvement. Digital information management, which complies with legislation and regulations, could be much better in many institutions.
Digital in education, yes or no
Although it all seems digital on the front end, this is not yet the case in most places on the back end. What, for example, is done with the old paper personnel files, diplomas, lists of marks or pupil files? By making this part of your digital information management, you can have many benefits. Paper that is still regularly used can be digitised. But also the registration and archiving of archives that are hardly ever consulted brings order to the information management. Secure accessibility is the key word here. If a former student needs a diploma, for example, it can be found within a few clicks. In many current situations, it takes a very long time to look through all the confusing folders and files.
Laws & regulations
Not only is retrieval simplified, but legislation can also be implemented via a digital platform. Documents can be managed fully in accordance with legislation and regulations, so that a file is deleted after the retention period. This can be set automatically, so that the system ensures that a certain type of file is always kept for the set time period. This also means that you do not just keep storing data, but only keep what is necessary. Transparent, efficient and cost-saving.
Authorisations
Do not forget the advantage of setting up an authorisation structure. Rights can be arranged much better and more accurately via a digital platform. Only those employees who need access can access the documents and all actions in such a file are fully logged. This is currently underexposed in many educational institutions.
Sharing
Does someone outside the educational institution request a document? Another school, a former pupil or, for example, a former staff member who wants to know something about pensions? It is also possible to share specific documents with people outside the educational institution. You can make documents available for a defined period. This can save you a lot of time and promote secure access to documentation.
It is inevitable; sooner or later, every educational institution will have to digitise more. Unfortunately, the government does not yet have a uniform policy for this, which means that educational institutions can decide for itself how this will be incorporated into the curriculum. For example, it is important to work with one infrastructure so that everything fits together. A certified digital archiving solution is crucial in this respect. Curious about which way of working digitally suits your educational institution best? Our advisers will be happy to discuss it with you!
