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The digital revolution has undeniably permeated primary education, ushering in an era where classrooms extend beyond four walls, where teaching tools have evolved from chalk to cloud-based applications. However, as we integrate these advancements, there’s a foundational component that often gets sidelined – the access network.
The Legacy Network Quagmire
For many primary education institutions, legacy access networks have become a bottleneck rather than a facilitator. Aging infrastructure, coupled with a lack of automation, has put undue strain on resources. Financial considerations further muddy the waters. It’s not just about the upfront cost; it’s the unforeseen expenses, reflection of many generations of self-contained technology delivered with one product after another.
Each product is configured, supported, maintained, and refreshed separately. School IT teams are left trying to catch-up with pages of best practices guides only to discover countless new configuration options and features they still have to keep up with.
It isn’t just a technical challenge; it impacts the very ethos of education. With students and teachers relying heavily on digital tools, if left uncared for, frequent latency issues and downtime within a network can drastically hamper the teaching and learning process. Add to this the concern of students exploiting technological loopholes, and the need for a robust, modernized network becomes even more pressing.
Challenging the Status Quo
The current network scenario in many institutions is reminiscent of an old, patchwork quilt. While it may hold sentimental value, it’s neither efficient nor fit for current needs. Many institutions are beholden to market giants who, while providing powerful solutions, often bring complexity and high costs. It’s a situation that calls for a rethink, a challenge to the status quo.
End to end approach
The clamor isn’t just for a network; it’s for a comprehensive service. Institutions should look for systems that offer a unified platform across all components required to build a secure wired and wireless access network. The dream? A single system that can proactively detect deviations in service quality even before students and teachers experience connectivity issues.
Automated Operations
In today’s day and age, automation can handle daily tasks, orchestrate security of users and devices, and orchestrate network maintenance. By utilizing the data set available through the use of a single integrated system, traditionally manual workflows in designing, installing, and maintaining a wired and wireless network can simply be tackled in a few clicks.
Financial Flexibility
Educational institutions should move towards models that offer clarity and predictability. Such a model should be consumed in a similar fashion – pay per usage or per physical space – similar to the cloud or other SaaS technologies that school IT teams utilize. This could mean flat-rate pricing or scalable models that grow with the institution’s needs.
Security at the Forefront
Given the vulnerabilities of digital platforms, IoT solutions for schools and commercial mobile devices, security can’t be an afterthought. Today’s networking solutions for schools should inherently integrate robust security measures. This includes stricter restrictions on student device access, complete isolation of IoT devices from the rest of the school resources, end-to-end security of the student and teacher data, and a proactive prevention of malware / ransomware proliferation across the school network.
Infrastructure that Grows
Instead of periodic, expensive overhauls, institutions should look at networks as evolving entities. This means modular solutions that can be easily upgraded, ensuring the network is always in step with the institution’s growth and technological advancements.
Conclusion
Primary education institutions stand at a crossroads. One path leads to the continuation of legacy network infrastructures, fraught with inefficiencies and escalating operational burden.
The other road ahead offers a fully automated school network, elimination of unexpected network related downtime, and enhanced learning experiences. As stewards of the next generation’s education, the choice should be clear.
To explore this new path further,take a look at Nile’s unique solution for secure connectivity across the primary education institutions. For any questions or comments, we are looking forward to hearing from you at [email protected].
