Parent teacher communication is vital for all round development of children. Education institutions know the importance of keeping a strong Parent communication system. Parent –teachers meet, School diary notes, report card signature and regular school visits were important part of education until a few years ago.

However, with the rise in double income parents, increasing job responsibilities and increasing distance from home, schools struggle with face- to-face meetings and parent-teacher bonding takes a back seat. Thankfully technology is here to help with growing distances and limited time that everyone has. A school management system with online parent-school communication platform can make communication and co-ordination very simple and effective.

Here are the reasons schools need an online parent school communication platform.

Better Environment for child

A strong parent – teacher communication leads to a stronger support system for students. A divide between school and home environment can lead to confusion and conflict for the child.  For example, a clash between family trip and school assignment submission date can be difficult for students. Similarly, teachers who have no idea of the distressing situation at a student’s home will not be able to support his\her better.

Having home and school in sync creates a healthy environment for the child to learn and grow. A close knit community of parents and teachers is a great support system to fall back on for growing children. Cases of parental stress, cyber bullying and peer pressure can arise in either place but affect the student in academics as well as at home. Having no knowledge of the other half of student’s life will only lead to ineffective teaching and parenting.

Customized education

Being in touch with teachers also lets the parents know about weak points of their child. They can support the child in such situations by home tuition’s or request for group studies. Similarly, communication with parents also lets teachers know of student’s special learning requirements, food sensitivities, interests, etc. This allows for a more personalized attention to each student.

Parent Participation

Work commitments and responsibilities make participating in child’s school life difficult. Parents often feel hard pressed for time because they may have to juggle between job, house responsibilities and a second child.

School chat platforms and parent-teachers chat allows them to be connected to their child’s day. They can view pictures of classroom activities, field trips and school events. Chat with teachers allows parents to discuss academic progress and learning challenges one on one.

Events and PTA meets

A strong parent-school platform also makes coordinating for PTA meets and school events super easy. Parents are given a parent login (either online portal or mobile app) where they can login and see the event calendar and plan their schedule accordingly. Setting up one-on –one meeting with teachers to discuss student progress is also more convenient on the platform. Virtual meeting can be setup when in person meeting is not possible.

Online Payments

Parent –school communication portal also gives parents many other conveniences such as online payment option. Through integration of school platforms and net banking it is possible to make fee payments online from the comfort of your home. On the go payment is also made possible through mobile apps. This also reduces late payments and fee dues for the school and leads to better cash flow management.

Commitment by Students

Students may have a lax attitude if parents have no interest in their school life. Students who have a strong school –parent connection are less likely to drop out. This is because they know that their parents care and that they are invested in their education. This commitment by school and family towards each other keeps them motivated to give their 100% in school.

Parent Community

A school communication platform is also where all the parents come together for their child. A community of like minded people can be a huge support system for parents. They can discuss parenting, collaborate for school projects and arrange for car-pooling once they are in touch with other parents. This helps distribute a lot of responsibilities and form deeper connections with school environment.

Parents feel safe when they know background of other students in the school. It also helps in increasing parent’s social circle and reduces parental stress.

Parent-School communication can be in the form of online portal, mobile app or chat platform. No matter what format you choose, it must have features that support your school in above mentioned functions. A strong culture in any school is built by strong communication between all stakeholders and leads to better learning and parenting.

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