This Privacy Policy explains how ShuleHand — the school management mobile app and the web system at school.erpgala.com ("ShuleHand", "we", "us") — collects, uses, shares and protects personal information. It applies to parents and guardians, school administrators, teachers and other staff who use ShuleHand, and to the student records schools keep in it. If you do not agree with this Policy, please do not use ShuleHand.
1. Who we are, and the school's role
ShuleHand is provided by PayGala Limited, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Each school that uses ShuleHand decides what information it records about its students, staff and parents and how it is used — the school is responsible for that information, and PayGala processes it on the school's behalf to run the service. Questions about a specific student's records (for example marks, attendance or fee balances) should first be raised with the school.
Questions about this Policy or about ShuleHand itself can be sent to paygalalimited@gmail.com.
2. Information we collect
Most information is entered by the school. What we hold depends on how you use ShuleHand.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Account (parents & staff) | Name, username, phone number, email address, gender, password (stored encrypted), profile photo, role (parent, teacher, administrator) and the school you belong to. |
| Student records | Name, admission number, date of birth, gender, class and stream, photo, guardians linked to the student, subject choices, enrolment and transfer history — entered by the school. |
| Academic information | Examination marks and grades, results and positions, report cards, assignments, attendance and timetables. |
| Fees & contributions | Invoices, amounts billed and paid, balances, receipts and parent contributions. |
| Messages | Chat messages between parents and the school, including any photos, documents or voice notes you choose to send, and school notices. |
| Library & hostel | Books borrowed and returned, fines, and hostel room/bed allocations, where the school uses these features. |
| Device | Push-notification tokens (Firebase Cloud Messaging for the app, Web Push for browsers), device type and app version, used to deliver notifications. |
We do not collect your precise location, contacts or call logs, and we do not use advertising identifiers.
3. How we use information
- Provide ShuleHand to the school: student records, attendance, examinations, report cards, timetables, fees, library and hostel management.
- Show parents their own children's information — results once the school releases them, attendance, assignments, timetable, fees and report cards.
- Let parents message the school and let staff reply.
- Send notifications, SMS and emails the school asks us to send — for example released results, fee reminders, meeting invitations and notices.
- Secure accounts, control access by role, prevent misuse, and keep the service working and improving.
- Comply with legal obligations.
4. Who can see what
- Parents and guardians see only the children linked to their account, and only exam results the school has released.
- Teachers and staff see the information their school role and permissions allow — for example their own classes, or the whole school for administrators.
- Each school's data is kept separate — one school cannot see another school's records.
5. Device permissions (mobile app)
- Notifications — to alert you to messages, released results, fee reminders and notices.
- Camera / Photos — only when you choose to set a profile photo or attach an image.
- Microphone — only when you choose to record a voice note in chat.
- Internet — to communicate securely with our servers.
You can turn notifications and other permissions off in your device settings at any time; some features may then be limited.
6. How we share information
We do not sell personal information or use it for advertising. We share it only as needed to run ShuleHand:
- Your school — the school's authorised staff, according to their role.
- SMS providers (such as SMSGala or Africa's Talking) — to deliver SMS messages the school sends.
- Email delivery services — to send emails such as results and report cards.
- Google Firebase — to deliver push notifications to your phone; browsers use standard Web Push.
- Hosting and storage providers — who store data securely on our behalf.
- Regulators, courts or law enforcement — where required by Tanzanian law or to protect our users and the public.
7. Data retention
We keep information for as long as the school uses ShuleHand and as needed to provide the service. Student academic and fee records are school records: the school decides how long they are kept, in line with its legal obligations. When a school stops using ShuleHand, its data is deleted or anonymised within 90 days, unless the school asks for an export first or the law requires us to keep it longer.
8. Security
We protect data with encryption in transit (HTTPS), encrypted passwords, role-based access controls, separation between schools, and regular backups. No system is completely secure, but we work to protect your information and limit access to authorised people only.
9. Your rights
Subject to applicable law, you may ask to access, correct or delete your personal information, or to withdraw consent where we rely on it. For changes to a student's records, please contact the school; for your own account, contact the school or us.
10. Account & data deletion
You can ask for your ShuleHand account and personal data to be deleted by emailing paygalalimited@gmail.com with the subject "Delete my ShuleHand account". We verify your identity and complete the request within 30 days, except information the school or the law requires to be kept. See our Delete Account page for full details.
11. Children
The ShuleHand app is for parents, guardians and school staff aged 18 or over; students do not sign in. Information about students — who are often children — is entered by their school, which is responsible for having the authority and any consent needed to record it. We use student information only to provide ShuleHand to the school and the student's linked parents.
12. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time. The "Effective date" above shows the latest version. Significant changes will be announced in ShuleHand. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised Policy.
13. Contact us
ShuleHand · PayGala Limited
Email: paygalalimited@gmail.com
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania