Teachers in Dundee and Angus are having ”constant” problems completing their end-of-term reports due to failings in the IT system used by both councils, it has been claimed.
The SEEMiS system, which is used by 28 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities, has been beset by problems, according to teachers who contacted The Courier to complain about it.
Teachers have been unable to log on to the system at home, others report it crashing in the middle of reports during school hours, while one Dundee teacher called it ”the bane of my life.”
She added: ”I have to take reports home to do after school but sometimes it’s absolutely hopeless. I have to fit in washing and ironing and looking after two young primary-aged children. After doing all that and getting them to bed the last thing you want is for the website to break down.
”We have to do our reports using SEEMiS so the least they could do is make sure it works.”
An Angus teacher added: ”The other weekend I couldn’t log on to it at all. I was trying till just before midnight and had to give up. We don’t have time during school hours to do all our reports. It’s so frustrating.”
The system’s problems have been magnified as end-of-term reports make it the busiest period of the year for the teachers and the system itself.
Another teacher said they had been told SEEMiS had shut down over a whole weekend recently after the air-conditioning system keeping its servers at the correct temperature had broken down.
Dundee City Council and the teachers union EIS have confirmed problems with the system, although Angus Council said it was not aware of any current issues.
Comments left on the Tes Scotland website from across Scotland include: ”Is it fit for service? I find it so frustrating to use.”
A spokesman for Dundee City Council said: ”SEEMiS is a national system which is a service level agreement with Dundee City Council and the other local authorities across Scotland which use it.
”The system has been down on two occasions recently and we have spoken to SEEMiS and they have worked to resolve this.”
An Angus Council spokesman said: ”We are not aware of any current problems in Angus, but if any issues are brought to our attention they will be addressed in partnership with SEEMiS.”
When The Courier asked about the reports of problems, a spokesman for SEEMiS said: ”SEEMiS is funded by its member councils to provide a service within normal working hours to schools and central education establishments. There is no provision to support services outwith these hours.
”SEEMiS do make available a facility that allows teachers to enter data into pupils’ report cards from home to assist staff. This service is not chargeable and there is no budget to provide support outwith hours.
”Our help desk is always happy to answer any questions relating to the use of home reporting during our normal opening hours.
”It must be remembered that SEEMiS do not have a role in supporting users’ PCs whether in the classroom or at home. All support relating to users’ computers is provided by the local council.”
The company said in Dundee there were 30 help desk calls over the last four weeks, out of which only seven appeared to be connection/access issues.
In Angus it was 33 calls over the same period, with nine connection/access issues.