NI School why are they all using C2knet?

[nicholab]

Why do all the NI schools user c2knet and SIMS and don't use there own cloud service, ISP's and other better MIS's cloud. Edited January 8, 2021 by nicholab

[nicholab]

My sons school is using c2k net and it seems rubbish but still no schools seems brave enough to do their own thing.

 

The log on is using federated services which seems a very old fashioned way of doing it.

[roneill631]

No school have the funding to do their own thing! It is the Department of Education for Northern Ireland who funds Capita for a managed network learning environment. In fairness until you've worked in a school in Northern Ireland you won't appreciate how good the setup is in relation to the environment and nature of the staff using it. Its far better than a technican creating their own ad-hoc system or having mulitple schools in NI use different suppliers when we are all basically doing the same thing. As i say it is a mixed bag but I have to say its an approach which fits NI and the system NI works in.

[nicholab]

How do schools move forwards with a modem MIS when they are stuck with SIMS. Schools don’t have cashless and they seem behind in some aspects of IT. Also the C2K log on is still using federated services for their front page. It seems schools can’t innovate as they have to wait for a BSF IT setup.

[LOUD]

Why it doesn't suit all schools, we find it works well here. Yes there are a number of things that we would like to do different. However NI schools don't have the money or the staff power to invest fully in an unmanaged system.

We have cashless systems in place for our canteen on the C2K System, Biometric registers attached to SIMS and BYOB throughout the school. All these 3rd Party suppliers work on the network. School has it's own app that allow parents to purchase other items online.

 

I'm just happy to use what they have provided as the backbone of the system and branch off from that. Thankfully in a way not have to worry about Ransomeware, Filtering issues or securtiy threats as that is their part of the contract to managed.

[nicholab]

It just find it a shame they don’t have to offer a choose of MIS and I don’t know how NI schools move a way from SIMS. SIMS WS my most hated product for my over 10 years in education. I also find the federated service log on very old fashioned. I don’t know how you innovate with IT it seems worse than Birmingham LEA Capita setup.