Parents in Kenya don’t all have smartphones, reliable data or time to check a school portal. Almost all of them read SMS. That’s why bulk SMS is still the most dependable way for schools to reach every family at once.
10 messages schools send most
- Fee reminders with the balance and payment details.
- Payment confirmations when fees are received.
- Opening and closing dates, and half-term changes.
- Exam results or a notice that report forms are ready.
- Parents’ meetings and academic days.
- Visiting days for boarding schools.
- Travel arrangements at the start and end of term.
- Emergency alerts — closures, weather, security.
- Attendance alerts when a learner is absent.
- Event invitations for prize-giving, sports and graduations.
Example messages
- “Dear Parent, Grade 6 closes on Fri 29 Nov at 12pm. Fee balance for Amani: KES 4,500. Pay via Paybill 123456, Acc: ADM2231. Thank you.”
- “Form 3 results are ready. Collect report forms on Sat 7 Dec, 9am–1pm. Contact the office on 0700 000 000.”
Tips for schools
- Personalise with the learner’s name and admission number — parents trust it more and respond faster.
- Group contacts by class, stream and boarding status so only the right parents get each message.
- Use a sender ID with the school’s name so parents recognise messages instantly. See how to register a sender ID.
- Keep it under 160 characters where possible to control cost — see how SMS pricing works.
- Automate fee alerts by connecting your school management system to an SMS API.
Get started with Connect Media
Connect Media provides Bulk SMS, USSD and IVR for Kenyan businesses from one dashboard and API. Create an account to start sending, see pricing, or email info@connectmedia.co.ke.
