Design and Implementation of a Robust Web-based Clearance System for Students in Nigerian Colleges of Education

Abstract

Online graduating student clearance systems are important platforms that greatly reduce the tedious processes involved in getting graduating students cleared for certification. These platforms are hardly available in most colleges of education and other tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The existing trends in the student clearance method is that the processes are done by moving from one office to another and having records on paper. Most existing clearance tasks are done manually. This scenario creates a system that is unreliable and confusing to keep the correct track of the records and can be very overwhelming and stressful to say the least. At the conclusion of the academic session, a clearance form is issued to students. Students apply for the clearance form to their respective department if the students need to exit the college. The consequences of this type of clearance system is that, at most times, most of the personnel required for the signing of the graduating students form are often not accessible and this creates serious challenges to the students. Also, in most cases, some of the papers issued to the students go missing in the course of their study and they are asked to pay for dues that have been originally paid. This research presents an automated and robust clearance system that generates students’ clearance per session and final clearance to graduating students. Developing an online customs clearance system called a Robust Web-based Clearance System is the major contribution of this research. The system was developed using Java as a programming language. The system was hosted using Xampp as a local server. The system was tested and validated by management and students. The results from the test showed a high level of acceptability of the developed system.