You have perhaps, willingly or else, been confronted with the imperative of school management systems in the last few months or so. It has presented itself as a basic necessity in today’s time given the diverse set of challenges we face. However, school management systems have been a distant gleam of light for a while now. The flash was distant and fleeting, yet it was inevitable. The COVID pandemic, increasing pollution, the rise of data-oriented institutions, etc., only pushed us closer to the adoption of school management systems sooner than we had expected. 

School management system (SMS) is a software designed to manage a schooling institution's educational and administrative needs. It takes care of academic affairs like online classes, assignments, attendance, and exams. Additionally, SMSs also take care of administrative tasks like fee management, teacher salaries, analytics and evaluations, student reports, and so much more. Long story short: all the troubles of manual data entry and retrieval are lessened. That too, with just a few taps and clicks on a screen!

Adopting a School Management System for Your School

You are probably wondering whether opting for an SMS is suitable for your institution. First of all, we have to talk about the automation of the workflow. A plethora of tasks presents themselves every single day when managing an educational institution. Most schools and colleges deal with hundreds, if not thousands, of students regularly. Think about the amount of time it takes for teachers to just go through the attendance book every morning. Think about the time it takes to prepare reports on individual students tracking their progress through time. 

Now imagine if all that time-wastage was to be averted. Completely avoided! 

That is where a school management software comes in. It comes in, sweeps redundant tasks off your hands, and leaves you with extra time to think about things far more important. It helps you spare more time on teaching and learning, focus meticulously on students and their progress, and even plan for the institution's future as a whole.

Save More Money 

In addition to all the perks mentioned above, investing in a good SMS helps you save money in the long run. Think about all the money you have been spending on paper. Registers, ledgers, exam sheets, calendars, diaries, and so much more—all gone with a slight leap of faith and a small investment. The need for paper almost disappears when you introduce a school management system to take care of your school. 

Furthermore, think about the relief you’ll be providing the staff. When you take away the trivial paperwork, people can focus on bigger and better things that will ultimately help the institution make progress. Almost no cost for progress!

Alright, But Where Do I Start?

Since you made it this far, it is safe to assume that you are interested in school management systems. Even though the burden of decision making seems colossal at this time, we are here to help you through it. 

When trying to narrow down your scope of options for selecting your SMS, you need to think about the most important aspects of school management you need help with. With the COVID pandemic still looking heavy and strong, one guess is that ‘integrated online classes’ would be a top priority. Additionally, here’s a checklist covering some of the basic requirements one might expect from an SMS.  

• Does the SMS you are picking provide you with integrated online classes and auto attendance?
• Does it let you post, submit, and grade assignments and exams easily?
• Does it automatically prepare individual student reports?
• Does it store data about fees and finances? 
• Does it help plan courses and create routines?

Although these are not the only things one needs to consider, this is an excellent place to start. ‘Integrated online class’ is perhaps the most sought after feature. Imagine using multiple platforms for different classroom tasks. The hassle of switching, getting everyone on the same page, getting necessary links and rolling them out - you can avoid all of it with the right School Management System. 

Managing, updating, and following a routine used to be quite an undertaking. With modern SMSs, however, it has almost become an alien concern. Notifications and reminders now replace the manual memorandum, and you are left with precious time. 

Checking with the SMS’s Current User Base

When selecting an SMS, it becomes a priority to be able to access its prevalence in the market. What are the top schools and colleges in your city or community using? Have they been using a particular service for a considerable time? What are the users’ opinions? 

All these questions must be assessed and answered before arriving at a decision. One must look for a tried and tested platform to avoid being in a state of consistently waiting for software problems to be resolved. Don’t forget to ask questions, present real-life scenarios, and talk about issues you think are specific to your school when talking to potential service providers. 

Look for Phone Apps and not Just a Web-Based System

Since you're looking at investing in your institution's digitization, you must verify if the SMS of your choice has a dedicated App family. Smartphones have become so powerful these days that one could argue they match average computers in terms of performance. Given that, you would want to get stuff done on your phone through an App as well. In comparison to the browser, an App is generally faster, more personalized, and accessible on the go.

Verify the Support System 

It is a given that changing or upgrading an entire system presents itself with a steep learning curve. Most teachers and other school staff have been using pen and paper since forever. When one adopts an SMS for their school, the staff and the students need time and support navigating their way through the system's UI. For a seamless transition, proper support is more like a necessity rather than something that’s just ‘good to have.’ 

Introducing Veda: A Complete MIS and School Management System 

Every challenge presented here may seem daunting right now. It should too. It shows how you are careful and professional in weighing the pros and cons before adopting something. However, Veda is the answer to all the questions raised in this article. Let us see how.

Veda has the necessary features: integrated online classes, auto-attendant, online assignments and exams, student reports, and so much more. We have compiled a list of reasons why you should choose Veda, and the list speaks for itself. 

In addition to all these wonderful features, Veda also has an outstanding reputation among top schools and colleges in Nepal. Veda has been supporting over 650 schools and colleges across Nepal to manage their everyday tasks online. Furthermore, Veda also has a 99 percent client-retention rate, which means schools and colleges trust Veda enough to keep renewing their subscription. Top institutions consistently placing their faith in Veda is a testament to the usefulness that comes with a subscription. 

Not only that, Veda has separate apps for students and teachers in addition to a browser platform. Additionally, there is impeccable support to back the service. Veda also periodically trains teachers and parents to help them transition to a digital space. The team also aspires to connect educators throughout the country and inspire collaborations for the good of the education system as a whole. 

Progress in a Nutshell

Making it to the end shows that you are seriously considering looking into what school management systems have to offer. Maybe you’re already satisfied with what you read so far. Or perhaps you need more context to be able to make up your mind? Either way, it doesn’t hurt to get in touch with Veda and present your questions and concerns to a highly supportive team of people who care.