The Department of Education (DepEd) has inked an agreement with local tech firm Fritz and Macziol Asia (F&M Asia) for pilot-testing the development, installation, and free access of Internet and cloud-based student health and nutrition databases in six public schools in the city of Manila.
In a simple ceremony held at the central office in Pasig City, DepEd secretary Armin A. Luistro and F&M Asia president Lutz Kunack signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the deployment of the IT system.
Under the MOA, F&M Asia will provide a cloud-based and enabled system for collecting and reporting student health and nutrition information, at no cost to DepEd.
Labeled as the Learner Health Appraisal System, the LHAS intends to provide increased access to data on health and nutritional status to support decision-making at all levels of management, from the school to the division to the regional agency and ultimately, DepEd as national agency.
LHAS is envisioned to form part of DepEd?s effort to put a system in place for the early detection and intervention of health problems among public school pupils nationwide, especially among malnourished pupils.
Under the agreement with F&M Asia, DepEd can eventually provide the gathering, storage, and access of student health and nutrition data in a timely manner and for analysis and proper targeting of intervention programs.
?Reliable, up-to-date, and easily accessible information is crucial to the DepEd in ensuring that proper and adequate care is given to the country?s public school children,? Kunack said.
F&M Asia is a systems integrator and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Imtech NV, a European technical services provider in the fields of electrical engineering, information and communication technology and mechanical engineering.
