5 Ways Parents Can Use School Management Software and Stay Connected 

There are numerous impactful ways parents can use school management software to stay involved in their child’s education daily. If you’re a school owner or principal, you know how important it is for parents to feel connected and informed.

In Nigeria and around the world, studies have shown that students perform better when their parents take an active role in their schooling. Yet in our busy lives, parent involvement can slip through the cracks.

The Nigerian government has been encouraging digital innovation in schools as part of its education policies, including adoption of ICT tools for administration and parent engagement. Many forward-thinking schools in Nigeria are already using these platforms in line with national policy guidelines for ICT in education. 

By using a school management system, your school aligns with these policies and demonstrates a commitment to transparency and quality education.

Below, we’ll look at  5 key ways parents can use school management software to stay connected and support their children. Each point also highlights how this helps your school community. These aren’t the typical points you see in every article; we’ll go deeper into the benefits that others often overlook, including some specific needs of Nigerian schools.

Read Also: The Best School Management Software in Nigeria

5 Ways Parents Can Use School Management Software

1. Monitor Academic Progress in Real Time

One of the most valuable ways parents can use school management software is to track their child’s academic progress in real time. Instead of waiting for end-of-term report cards or periodic PTA meetings, parents can log into the system anytime to see up-to-date results and feedback. 

They can view test scores, assignment grades, teacher comments, and even skill assessments as soon as they are entered. For example, if a student just took a mathematics quiz, the parent might see the score and teacher’s note that same week.

This immediate insight means no more surprises at the end of the term. If a child is struggling in a subject, the parent can identify the issue early and step in to help long before final exams. Perhaps their son’s algebra grades have been slipping for two weeks,  with real-time updates, the parent notices the trend and can arrange a tutoring session or talk to the teacher. 

Research consistently shows that when parents are aware of their child’s academic performance and can respond quickly, the child tends to improve and stay more motivated. Essentially, the software acts like a continuous progress report that keeps parents engaged in their child’s learning journey.

Beyond grades, many systems also allow parents to see homework and project assignments. A parent can check what homework was assigned today, see upcoming project deadlines, and even view any study resources the teacher provided. 

This helps parents support learning at home, for instance, by reminding their daughter about an assignment due Friday or helping her find materials for a project. Instead of asking a child, “Do you have any homework?” and getting a mumbled “I don’t remember,” parents can directly verify assignments on the platform. It creates accountability for students and reassurance for parents.

From a school’s perspective, this real-time academic tracking fosters trust. You’re showing transparency by sharing grades and feedback openly with parents. In Nigeria, where continuous assessment is a key part of the curriculum, a school management system ensures parents can follow these continuous assessments closely.

2. Communicate Effortlessly with Teachers and Staff

Another crucial way parents use school management software is for instant communication with teachers and school staff. In the past, if a parent had a question or concern, they might have to call the school office repeatedly, write a note in a diary, hoping the teacher sees it, or wait until the next open day. 

Using the software or its mobile app, a parent can send a quick message to the class teacher anytime. For example, a father might message: “Good morning, I noticed Ada’s math scores dropped this week.

Can we discuss how I can help her at home?” The teacher can respond when free, perhaps sharing some insight or setting up a call. This two-way chat is far more efficient than sending letters or trying to catch the teacher in person after school. It also creates a written log of communication, so everyone stays on the same page.

For teachers and administrators, having this centralized communication channel can actually save time. Rather than fielding dozens of phone calls or unscheduled visits, they can reply to messages in an organized way. 

School management software can also streamline important announcements and reminders through these channels. Instead of relying on children to relay messages (which often results in “I never knew about that!”) the school can send direct notifications to all parents. 

Imagine parents organizing carpooling for an excursion through the app, or senior parents advising new parents about upcoming school traditions. This kind of community building was rarely discussed in older articles, but it can be facilitated by modern school portals. It fosters a supportive school community and strengthens the bond between families and the school.

By making communication easy, your school demonstrates that you value parents’ input and questions. Over time, this builds a stronger partnership. Teachers and parents working together consistently (not just during emergencies or formal meetings) can address student issues before they escalate. 

It also humanises the school; parents feel comfortable reaching out, and teachers can proactively share positive updates too, not just concerns. All of this leads to a better experience for the student, who sees the adults in their life working hand-in-hand.

3. Track Attendance and Ensure Student Safety

For many parents, their number one concern is the safety and well-being of their child at school. School management software gives parents a way to monitor attendance and receive timely alerts, which greatly contributes to peace of mind. 

How does this work? The software usually includes an attendance tracking module where teachers mark each student present or absent each day (or each class period). This data isn’t just for school records, it can be shared with parents in real time.

If a child is marked absent in the morning, the system can automatically send an SMS or app notification to the parent: “Your child was marked absent today in the homeroom.” As a parent, getting this alert immediately lets you respond. 

Perhaps your child was legitimately homesick and you forgot to notify the school; you can quickly inform them via the app. Or, if you thought your child went to school, an absence alert would be alarming but crucial; you can call to verify their whereabouts right away. 

This level of transparency encourages students to attend classes more regularly, kids know they can’t easily hide a skipped class because mom or dad will see the absence on the portal. 

Indeed, schools that involve parents in attendance monitoring find that students are more serious and disciplined when they know they’re being monitored now and then. The simple fact that a parent could call them up and ask “Why did you miss school today?” can deter a lot of mischief.

When combined with the communication tools discussed earlier, any attendance issues can be swiftly resolved by a quick chat. Overall, by using the software to keep parents in the loop on attendance and related safety matters, you create a secure, transparent environment. Parents will surely appreciate the school looking out for their children like its own.

4. Stay Informed on Events and School News

Schools are busy places with countless events, activities, and updates throughout the year. Keeping track of all of them can be challenging for parents, especially when relying on paper flyers or children’s memories. This is where school management software shines: it ensures parents stay informed about school events, announcements, and news promptly.

With a dedicated parent portal or app, the school can share an events calendar that parents can check anytime. Upcoming exam dates, cultural days, sports competitions, public holidays, and PTA meetings, all these can be listed in one place. Even more helpful, the software can send automatic reminders. 

For instance, a week before “Inter-House Sports Day,” every parent might get a notification: “Sports Day is next Friday at 10am. Don’t forget to send your child in sportswear and come cheer them on!” If the venue or time changes, an update can be pushed out to all parents instantly. 

School news and announcements also reach parents directly through the platform. Whether it’s a principal’s newsletter, a notice about new academic policies, or even urgent alerts (like a sudden school closure due to weather), the information appears on parents’ phones in real time. 

Compare this to the old way: a printed circular at the bottom of a student’s backpack (which might never get seen) or an announcement made only to students at assembly. By using a centralized digital channel, you ensure every parent gets the same message reliably. 

Parents love to see positive news about the school and their children. It creates a sense of pride and community. Instead of such news being buried in a long email or printed bulletin, the software can present it in a more engaging way (some even have a newsfeed or noticeboard section).

For Nigerian schools, aligning with educational policies also means encouraging parental involvement in school activities. The Universal Basic Education framework and other Nigerian education initiatives emphasize community participation in schooling. 

By actively notifying and inviting parents to events through the management software, you are putting that policy into practice. A well-informed parent is more likely to attend school functions or contribute when needed. For example, if there’s a sanitary day or campus cleanup that requires volunteers, an app notification can rally parents effectively.

In summary, school management software keeps parents in the loop about everything happening at school. The days of “I didn’t know about it” are over. Parents will appreciate the transparency and the personal touch of being consistently informed. 

5. Handle Fees and Forms with Convenience

Managing administrative tasks like fee payments used to be one of the most tedious interactions between parents and schools. Queuing up at the bursar’s office, dealing with paper receipts, or sending money through a child, these methods are time-consuming and prone to error. 

A major way parents can use school management software today is to handle fees and other administrative forms online with ease. Convenience is the key here, and it benefits both parents and the school.

Most comprehensive school management systems include a fee management module. Parents can view all fee bills (tuition, PTA levy, exam fees, etc.) on their portal, along with due dates and any outstanding balances. When it’s time to pay, they can do it electronically, often via integrated payment gateways that accept cards, bank transfers, or mobile money. 

This convenience is not just a luxury; it’s increasingly expected. We all pay utility bills or do online banking on our phones now, why shouldn’t school fees be just as easy? Parents truly appreciate when a school offers such a hassle-free option. In fact, providers note that ease of payment is a major factor in keeping parents satisfied. 

Overall, by simplifying payments and administrative tasks, the software removes a lot of stress from the parent-school relationship. This way parents use the platform not only deepens engagement but also boosts their satisfaction with the school’s professionalism. 

No one enjoys bureaucratic hassles; when you minimize them, you’re indirectly telling parents “we respect your time.” And from the school’s angle, you get fees paid on time, accurate records, and less manual work reconciling accounts, it’s a win-win. 

ExcelMind CRM: Bringing It All Together for Your School

We’ve looked at five important ways parents can use school management software to stay connected: real-time academic tracking, effortless communication, attendance monitoring, event updates, and convenient admin tasks. Implementing these capabilities can transform the parent experience at your school. 

The next question is, how do you choose the right platform that delivers all these benefits (and more) in a user-friendly package? This is where ExcelMind CRM comes into the picture as an ideal solution, especially for schools in Nigeria.

ExcelMind CRM is an all-in-one school management platform designed to connect parents, teachers, and administrators on one centralized system. It essentially combines all the features we discussed into a single, easy-to-use interface. With ExcelMind, parents get a dedicated portal (and a mobile app) that keeps them involved every step of the way. 

They can get real-time updates on their child’s academics, attendance, school events and more; all the information we talked about is available at their fingertips. For example, the moment a teacher uploads exam results or marks attendance, that data becomes visible to parents through ExcelMind’s parent dashboard.

ExcelMind was built with the Nigerian school context in mind. It supports features that local schools find valuable, such as multi-campus management (if your school has several branches) and customization for Nigerian curricula and grading systems. It even accounts for things like WAEC/NECO results management and other local exam structures. 

Let’s talk about communication features: ExcelMind has in-app messaging across all user flows, meaning parents, teachers, and admins can communicate within the platform. Parents can chat with teachers privately about any concern, and they can receive broadcast announcements from the school. 

For attendance and safety, ExcelMind includes an Attendance Tracking feature that both teachers and parents can access. If a student is absent or late, that record is visible. The platform could be configured to send instant alerts to parents for absences, helping you implement the kind of safety net we described earlier.

On the administrative side, ExcelMind doesn’t fall short either. It offers fee management and payment integration (as indicated on the student dashboard features). Parents can pay fees securely through the platform, and the system will update their balance and send receipts without manual effort from your bursar. 

ExcelMind also handles things like admission processes, report generation, and even HR management for staff, though those are more for admin use, it shows how comprehensive the system is. 

By choosing ExcelMind, you’re positioning your school as a leader in modern education management. The company reports that schools using their platform saw a 35% increase in parent and student engagement, a testament to how the software encourages involvement. 

Imagine your school with over a third more parents actively participating and communicating, thanks to an effective tool. That can significantly improve student outcomes and overall school satisfaction.

See Also: Top 10 Best ERP School Management Software 

You’ve seen how parents can utilise the software, from checking grades and attendance to communicating and managing school business, and how each of these benefits your school directly as well. 

Now it’s time to take action. If you want to transform your school into one where parents feel like true partners, the solution is at your fingertips. ExcelMind CRM offers all these capabilities in one integrated platform, making it a default solution for schools that value parent engagement and efficient management. 

By adopting ExcelMind, you’re not just buying software; you’re empowering your teachers, reassuring your parents, and giving your students an extra edge through consistent support. In a world where every school promises quality education, delivering a connected experience for families is what will make your institution shine.

As the saying goes, education is a shared commitment between dedicated teachers, motivated students, and enthusiastic parents, with the right software, that commitment becomes easier to uphold. 

Make the choice to strengthen your school community now, and watch your students reach new heights with a whole team (teachers and parents together) cheering them on every day. Contact ExcelMind or request a demo today, and take your school to the next level of excellence with a solution built for you.

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