The Role of SIM in Providing Real-Time Data for Education Policy Making

In today's digital era, one of the important instruments in appropriate and evidence-based policy-making is data. If we talk about data, there may still be many who hear or even find in data that is still raw. Therefore, in this case, in the field of education, innovations like this are very important in terms of the Education Management Information System (SIM-P). Because SIM-P is a center for collecting, processing, and distributing educational data quickly and precisely. Basically, its role is not just a repository of information, but also one of the strategic tools for now in providing real-time data that can be directly used by policy makers, be it at the school, regional, or national levels.

With its ability to present data in real-time, this is one of the advantages of SIM-P. Thus, it will be very possible for the government or stakeholders to identify problems quickly and responsively, such as the problem of the number of students who drop out of school, uneven distribution of teachers, and the condition of educational facilities that are quite urgent. Therefore, the policy formulated is no longer based on estimates or manual reports which are still often slow and biased, but are still based on factual conditions on the ground.

In addition, SIM-P can also influence transparency and accountability in education governance. The reason is, open and integrated data is able to minimize program overlap, increase budget efficiency, and encourage community participation in supervising the implementation of education policies. With valid data, the government can also prepare projections of future educational needs, for example planning the number of teachers, competency-based curriculum, to budget allocation that is more targeted and effective.

However, optimizing SIM-P also requires a strong commitment from all parties. As is the case with technological infrastructure, digital literacy of educators and bureaucrats, as well as cross-institutional integration are determining factors for the success of this system. Because, without this support, SIM-P risks becoming just an administrative application without a real contribution to the transformation of education in real terms.

Thus, the authors conclude that SIM-P plays an important role as a foundation for real-time data in making education policies that are more adaptive, responsive, and sustainable. Through the maximum use of SIM-P, education in Indonesia, of course, can potentially go further towards a system that is not only reactive to problems, but also proactive in designing a better future.

Author's Bio

Abdul Mutholib is a Postgraduate student of Islamic Education Management (MPI) at UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung. The focus of his study includes education governance, management information systems, and digital transformation in the world of education. He pays attention to the development of quality data-based and information-based policies, especially in the context of improving accountability and quality of education in Indonesia.