The rule for parent communication: a one-page channel policy in writing — which news goes on which channel, who sends it, how often. Without a policy, what happens: three people send the same notice on three channels, urgent news drowns in SMS, and guardians say “the school never tells us anything” — while the school does tell, just without discipline.
What to verify: communication purpose, duty and channel consent
The channel-policy template:
| News type | Channel | Who sends | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absence signal | SMS (auto) | system | daily |
| Fee reminders | SMS | office | 1–2 monthly |
| Notices (holidays, meetings) | app push + SMS | office | per event |
| Results | app push (individual) | office | exam ends |
| Urgent (closure/weather) | SMS + app to all | muhtamim-approved | per event |
| General daily news | Facebook page | regularly | weekly |
The consent field: one line on the admission form — “consents to receive notices/SMS on this number” — plus number updates every year-start. SMS to unconsented numbers wastes message cost and irritates.
A usable sample: the channel policy template
Steps to build the policy:
- List the news types (6–8 rows like above).
- Beside each: channel + sending duty + frequency.
- Tell teachers which is in their authority and which belongs to the office — teacher reminders get their own line in the policy.
- Read the policy at a teacher meeting and post it in the office.
- Reconcile weekly: what was sent per policy, what was missed.
Parent notifications: workflow steps and limitations
- One piece of news on one channel is enough — the same message on three channels irritates guardians and raises SMS cost.
- Write “what will NOT be sent” too: political messages, other institutions’ advertisements — never.
- Limitation: even with a policy, emergencies run on the muhtamim’s judgement — keep an exception clause in the policy itself.
Notifications: questions to ask before your demo
- Can channels be enabled/disabled per policy (settings)?
- Is there a record of who sent what?
- Can guardians see old notices in the app?
See channel setup in the communication module and the notification documentation; absence signals in the attendance module.
Notifications FAQ
Is a missing policy really a big loss?
Yes — policy-less communication raises costs (duplicate SMS), lowers trust (irritating repetition), and loses urgent news.
Who writes the policy?
The muhtamim + office + one teacher — in a one-hour meeting; then re-read every six months.
Is the Facebook page part of the policy?
Yes — as a public-news channel; but student-level private data never goes to Facebook.