Updated · 4 min read · By the EduRit team
Short answer
Most schools are better off when teachers don't give parents their personal numbers. It leads to messages at all hours, blurs school and private life, and leaves the school with no record of what was said. A school-run channel, with set hours and the principal able to see conversations, keeps parents in touch without those problems.
Why personal numbers cause trouble
- Messages and calls arrive late at night, on Sundays, and during holidays.
- Teachers feel they must answer at once, which wears them down.
- Nothing is on record: if a parent disputes what was said, the school can't check.
- When a teacher leaves, parents still have the number and the school loses the thread.
- A teacher's personal number is their personal data, and they may not want it shared.
What schools do instead
| Option | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Diary or notebook | Short notes on the child's day | Slow, easily lost, no record at school |
| School office phone | Urgent matters | The office relays messages; teachers are hard to reach |
| A school-owned phone per class | Keeping personal numbers private | Someone must manage the phones and hand them over |
| Messaging inside the school app | Day-to-day questions, on record, with set hours | Parents need to install the app |
A simple policy you can adopt
- Teachers don't share personal numbers; parents use the school's channel.
- Parents can write between set hours, for example 8 am to 6 pm on school days.
- Teachers reply within one working day; urgent matters go to the office.
- The principal can see conversations when a concern is raised.
- Sensitive matters (fees, discipline, health) are discussed in person or with the principal.
How EduRit handles it
In EduRit, teachers and parents message each other inside the app, so neither shares a personal number. The school sets the hours parents can send messages, the principal can read teacher–parent conversations, and a teacher can still ring a parent from the app when a call is needed, without the teacher's own number being shown.