Every school management system demo looks impressive. Six months later, half of them are being used only for one module while attendance goes back into an exercise book. The difference is rarely the feature list.
1. Does it work when the internet does not?
Connectivity in much of Ghana is good but not constant. A system that stalls whenever the network drops will be abandoned. Ask specifically what happens offline and how data reconciles afterwards.
2. How long does it take to enter a class of results?
Have a teacher - not a salesperson - enter one class of continuous assessment scores during the demo, and time it. If it takes longer than the paper process, teachers will use the paper process.
3. Who owns the data, and can you export it?
You should be able to get a complete export of student records, results and financial data at any time, in a format you can open without the vendor's software. Confirm this in writing before signing.
4. What does year two cost?
The headline price is usually year one. Ask about licence renewal, support, hosting, training for new staff, and the cost of a customisation you will inevitably want.
5. Who fixes it, and how fast?
A support contract with no response-time commitment is not a support contract. Ask what happens if the system is down during examination week.
We build and support school systems ourselves, so we have a stake in the answer - but these are the questions to ask any vendor, us included.
