The communication requirements of educational institutions are diverse. Whether connecting to staff members, parents, pupils, or college students, the method needs to be reliable and efficient. These are the key reasons why SMS communications have proven to be a popular choice with schools and tertiary education providers.

Whether sending out an emergency alert or a ensuring a general announcement is delivered, SMS allows for timeous communication with teachers, parents and pupils. Two examples below bear this out.

Claremont High School in Cape Town, South Africa, makes use of SMS to keep parents informed of meetings and school events. Claremont High started using BulkSMS in 2011 and have found the service critical in ensuring that messages to parents are delivered timeously.

According to Janine Forbay, bursar of Claremont High School, “SMS has proven to be the most effective way to communicate with parents as emails are often not read. SMS has been essential in creating a communication channel where all parents stay informed of meetings, sporting events, and budget meetings.”

The educational non-profit BizSchool in Johannesburg, South Africa, aims is to equip young South African school-leavers with the necessary training and business and financial skills to enter the world of work. Faced with the challenge of communicating with students who have little to no internet access outside of classes, the school’s administration turned to SMS messaging. By sending messages to students’ phones, BizSchool is able to communicate efficiently with the students regarding meetings, events, course details and any last minute notifications and updates.

“BulkSMS.com has provided a platform for responsive communication between students and facilitators which has led to improved interaction within the BizSchool community environment,” says Sarah Myerscough, CEO of BizSchool.

As demonstrated in these two cases, not only is SMS messaging able to facilitate efficient communication between parents and teachers, but it also offers a direct link for communication between students and their educational institution to encourage a more connected learning environment.

Both BizSchool and Claremont High School make use of the BulkSMS Community Messaging solution, a robust SMS platform with a low per message cost irrespective of high or low volumes available in South Africa and the United Kingdom.