Education Management Information System: What Is It and Why Do We Not Have More of It?
An Education Management Information System (EMIS) is a comprehensive system that bring together people, process, and technology to provide timely, cost effective, and user appropriate information to support educational management at whatever
level is needed. EMIS actually contrasts with other types of information systems—notably: (1) Statistical Information System (SIS): which is oriented to reporting historical data (at least a year after it is relevant) and often provides considerable detail, usually mainly at the national level, in support of specific
research efforts; and (2) Decision Support Information System (DSIS): which is oriented to direct support of key or future decisions within an educational system and typically requires the proper functioning of both an SIS and an EMIS—there are few effective forms of DSIS in operation now. These distinctions are relevant because most of the educational world - seldom known for a focus on speed and accuracy in
information - is really oriented to a Statistical Information System type approach. Very few EMISs actually operate at the multiple levels necessary for effective management of education in most countries, and very few systems actually have comprehensive DSISs that can be applied to key policy and decision points…the way they often are in the competitive private sector. As importantly, most Information Systems collect quantitative information that is often only 25-40% of a factor in major policy decisions.