Texts alert parents to school closures
Kablenet.com
Published: 06 Aug 2004 14:55 BST
Fife Council has begun to use SMS and email to inform parents when schools are forced to close because of extreme weather
The service is powered by the council's website, Fife Direct, which sends either a text message or email to the 1,600 parents who registered for the service last winter. It is part of the Fife Council Winter Centre service that sends details on winter weather, travel, advice and closure information to citizens.
The council is now able to text parents about any school closure, not only ones due to bad weather.
Strategic spokesperson for resource, councillor Drew Edwards, said: "Giving Fifers a choice on how they access information about council services means investing in new technology and making it work for them.
"We're adding technology options to our existing face to face or by phone services. The website and other modern developments, like the use of text alerts, add other choices for our residents. Mobile phones are now common and the popularity of texting is rising not just young people but also their parents.
"It's important that when a school is closed that parents get this information quickly and easily. It couldn't be easier with a text alert. It's all about tailoring information to suit the individual needs of the users of our services, and new technology now makes this much easier to do."
The council is currently exploring other possible services that it can provide using this technology. It already informs people of jobs and events, but is looking at alerts for such things as housing repairs, library books, ring and ride transportation, and school-truancy support for parents.
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