News Item
Now parents get the message on truancy
Adelaide Advertiser
By TANIA BAWDEN
22 March 2005
HIGH schools across Australia are keeping tabs on their pupils with an SMS
system developed by Adelaide-based MGM Wireless.
More than 110 schools, including Adelaide High School, are using the student
truancy solution MsgU (Message You) which has produced a range of positive
results.
The patented mobile-phone messaging system is used to inform parents by SMS text message if their child does not turn up at school.
Adelaide High School assistant principal Michael Black said the level of unexplained absence had been reined by as much as 30 per cent since MsgU was introduced in early 2004.
"The next stage of its application will involve sending more specific questions to parents, to make contact with the school after three days, and to email teachers or year-level co-ordinators to improve monitoring," Mr Black said.
Mark Fortunatow, managing director of share market-listed MGM Wireless, said the system's growth potential was strong.
Not only did it discourage the start of serial truancy and high early-school dropout rates but got parents more engaged with the school.
"We started operations in South Australia directly as part of an initiative by (Premier) Mike Rann in the last election to crack down and improve student attendance," he said.
"The Education Department was trying a range of strategies to improve attendance, with recent reports tabled in Parliament estimating 10,000 kids are off school daily."
With the MGM solution, Mr Fortunatow said absenteeism fell as much as 25 per cent in the first week and up to 80 per cent within months.
"School funding is linked to student attendance and retention.
"Typically, schools are funded between $3000 and $7000 (a student per year) so, for example, if the Message You systems improve attendance by just 40 students a day, this results in an additional $120,000 to $280,000 in funding to these schools per year."
Mr Fortunatow said the firm's growth prospects were strong, given the size of the private and public education system, and since it was the first such solution on the market.
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