Sahel EDU

Running your school from an entry-level Android phone, without installing a store app

For most teachers, supervisors and parents, the phone is the only computer available, and the connection is often slow or cut. Sahel EDU is designed for that use: it works in the phone’s browser, can be added to the home screen like an app, and keeps the register and mark entry when the network drops.

The entry-level Android phone: the reality on the ground

In a school in Central Africa, people do not always have a computer, nor a recent phone with plenty of memory. School management software for Android must therefore cope with those constraints, or it stays in the head’s office.

A small screen, sometimes cracked, and storage that is almost full.
A connection that is slow, expensive or cuts out in the middle of an entry.
Users who are not all equally comfortable with writing.
A phone that is sometimes shared, or replaced during the year.

Store app or browser: what to know

Sahel EDU is not a store app: there is nothing to look for on the Play Store or the App Store, and no desktop software to install. You open the school’s address in the phone’s browser, sign in, and find the screens you need.

This choice has concrete advantages for a school: nothing to update on each phone, no different version from one user to another, and no storage taken up by a large app.

One address, one username, one password: the same account on every device.
No update to install: everyone uses the same version.
An account on phone as on computer, with the same data.
No store account to create.

Adding Sahel EDU to the home screen

The site can be added to the home screen like an app. The steps depend on the browser and its version: look in the browser menu for an entry such as “Add to home screen” or “Install app”.

An icon then appears with the others, and opening it takes a single tap. If the entry is missing, the user can simply bookmark the address: the result is the same.

Open the school’s address in the browser.
Open the browser menu.
Choose the entry that adds the site to the home screen.
Sign in the first time, then open the icon from then on.

Light pages and a connection that drops

Sahel EDU screens load their resources from the application alone: no library or font coming from another site. Shared styles and scripts are files kept by the phone, not downloaded again on every page.

When the network drops, the register and mark entry are kept on the phone and sent on their own when the connection returns. A copy is kept until the saving is confirmed. Some pages already viewed can also be reread without a network for seven days.

A session’s register, entered without a network, then sent when the connection returns.
Mark entry, on the same principle.
The personal timetable, “My class”, the family space and the student space for rereading.
An honest message that says where the entry stands.
A “Listen” option that reads the marks page aloud in the screen’s language.

What each person does with their phone

The phone is enough for most daily tasks in a school, provided each profile sees only what concerns it.

The teacher enters the register and marks once, and averages follow from them.
Staff clock in by scanning a QR Code with their own phone.
The school office takes a student’s photo or a document directly with the device.
The head reads the dashboard: enrolment, attendance, fee collection.
The parent views published results, absences, the balance and receipts.
Schools that wish to can share the fees situation on WhatsApp, through a link.

Limits to know about

Sahel EDU does not work entirely without a network. Only some entries are kept, and rereading covers only pages already viewed.

To start, try it on the phones actually used in the school, including the most modest ones, before training the whole team.

Collecting fees, report cards and most screens need a connection.
There is no app to download from a store.
The installation steps for each browser may vary from one device to another.

Frequently asked questions

Do we need to download an app from the Play Store?

No. Sahel EDU opens in the phone’s browser and can be added to the home screen. There is no store app.

Does it work on an entry-level Android phone?

It is designed for those devices: the pages are light and call for no resource from another site.

What happens when the network drops in the middle of an entry?

The register and mark entry are kept on the phone and sent on their own when the connection returns. Most other screens need the network.

Do parents need a computer?

No. The parents’ space can be viewed from a phone, in the browser, with a username and a password.

Can we try it on our own phones before committing?

Yes. The free trial lasts 30 days, with no commitment. The price is then negotiated with each school and can be read on the Pricing page.

Try Sahel EDU for free

Try Sahel EDU free for 30 days, no commitment. Afterwards, the price is negotiated with your school and confirmed in writing.

Book a private demonstration See pricing How the trial works