New QSchools smart phone app for parents

Parents and carers can now instantly be alerted to news and events at their child’s school, such as swimming carnival dates, free dress days, head lice breakouts and P&C meetings, using the QSchools smartphone app.

Minister for Education, Training and Employment John-Paul Langbroek launched the free QSchools app for iPhone and iPad devices today.

“Designed to integrate with the Websites for Schools platform, the app lets iPhone and iPad users receive newsletters and up-to-the-minute information to their handsets as soon as it is posted to their favourite school’s websites,” Mr Langbroek said.

“The QSchools app provides an additional, convenient way of engaging with parents and the community using a technology that most of us carry every day.

“We listened to schools which said they wanted new ways to communicate with parents, so the Department of Education, Training and Employment started development on the app in December.

“The QSchools app is also a vital tool in emergency situations, sending instant notifications of natural disasters like flood alerts or illness causing school closures”.

Mr Langbroek said while face-to-face interaction with parents and caregivers was an integral part of schooling, being able to provide information in this way allowed immediate access to important school news and events.

“It will be particularly useful to parents who have students in different schools, as the app manages updates from multiple schools in a single view,” he said.

“Strong partnerships between the school and the community are vital to provide an encouraging, supportive environment for our students’ learning and development.”

All state schools are searchable using the app which provides location and contact information.

Currently more than 500 schools are using the Websites for Schools platform – which synchronises with the QSchools app.

Another 300 Queensland schools are currently updating their websites or planning to adopt the same platform, giving parents from an estimated 800 schools access to the QSchools app by the end of this year.

The QSchools app is available for free download from the iTunes store for Apple devices, and the Google Play store for Android-compatible devices.

[ENDS] 27 May 2013

Media contact: Danita Goodwin 0439 886 652