What's new?

I received a copy of a notice sent to some Gauteng schools, signed by Mr. Ngobeni, Head of Department: Gauteng Department of Education, containing the following text:

In response, I'd like to point our clients to the LURITS Briefing Session notes, which contain the information provided to service providers by SITA and the DoE. The notes can be downloaded from SITA by clicking here.

The relevant parts of the notes state:

Please be aware that Smart Software will not be collecting data from any school for upload to LURITS. According to the documentation we have been issued, it is the responsibility of the school to export the XML files and e-mail it to their provincial EMIS office, or upload it via the LURITS POP engine provided. Note that to upload your files, you must be registered for uploading on the LURITS system, which I believe is the responsibility of the above-mentioned LURITS administrators.

The new promotion requirements as published in the SAOU curriculum newsletter have already been added to the program. While the new requirements are the default, the old requirements are still available too. To change back to the old requirements, go to Marks | Verdicts | GET phase | Promotion rules.

Version 2.11 is now available. This update is to allow schools to start entering and checking the information required for LURITS. The upload and download functionality is still being tested, but everything else is there. For more information, see the revision history.

So I wrote a little fix for the NSC Entries programme. This'll fix the problem with all subjects being imported into the same table. There's nothing I can do about it showing all subjects in Afrikaans, that seems to be an interface error. I know this fix will be too late for many schools, but here it is anyway.

The LURITS interface is coming along well. Once released, schools will need to prepare their data to comply with the requirements for LURITS. Preliminary information about these requirements and the preparation in Smart can be found here.

As indicated in GDE Circular 51 of 2008, all schools in South Africa must upload learner information to the LURITS system by March 2010. We are currently making adjustments and additions in the Smart Software program to meet these requirements. Please note that future updates of our software will contain changes in this regard, and some changes may require user input. It is strongly suggested that our clients be informed about these requirements to avoid a "last minute" rush to have their data in a state of readiness.

Changes are also being implemented to complete the export of information into SA SAMS, as required by GDE circular 59 of 2008.

Note that the use of SA SAMS as a primary admin system is not compulsory - it may only be required to produce certain print-outs and exports.

We also wish to mention the compliment bestowed on Smart Software by Pretoria Boys High School. As loyal customers, the school recently purchased an indefinite license for the use of our software. This indicates tremendous trust and commitment to our project. We are grateful, thank you!!

Also, we wish to extend the same gratitude towards Norkempark High School. A Smart Software client since the 1980s, and using our Windows version since 2000, Norkempark High School has shown the same level of commitment to our project. A warm and hearty "Thank you" to the governing body and dedicated staff of this fine institution.

Described as "a shining light in education", Fred Norman Secondary School has also been a friend and customer of our business since the 1980s. Under strong leadership with focus on true norms and values, Fred Norman Secondary School recently committed to use Smart Software indefinitely. Our sincere gratitude to the principal and governing body, not only for their loyalty, but also for promoting our product to friends and colleges in other schools.