Messages usually miss parents because attendance was not marked, the SMS or WhatsApp sender is offline or unlinked, or the parent's number or app is not set up. Check the delivery logs to see which step failed.
Where can an attendance message fail?
An absentee or arrival message passes through several steps: attendance is recorded, the message is created from your template, it is handed to a sending channel, and the parent's phone receives it. A fault at any step looks the same to the parent: nothing arrives.
The useful habit is to work through the steps in order instead of guessing. Most missed messages are found in the first two or three steps, and they are fixed by the school office without any technical help.
- Step 1: attendance was never marked for that class or child.
- Step 2: the message template or the alert option is not set up for that kind of message.
- Step 3: the sending channel (SMS phone, branded gateway or WhatsApp link) is not working.
- Step 4: the parent's number is wrong, or the parent has not installed or opened the Parents App.
Was attendance actually marked?
Absentee SMS or WhatsApp goes out when attendance is recorded. If a teacher never saved the register for a class, there is nothing to send, and the parent hears nothing.
EDUBase has a separate feature called Attendance alerts. It tells your staff when a class or employee has not been marked by the expected time. Do not confuse it with the message to parents: it is a warning to the office, and it is the quickest way to catch an unmarked class before the day ends.
- Open the class register for that day and check whether the child has a mark.
- If a past day was corrected, remember that View and update logs the change.
- For gate methods, confirm the card was scanned or the face was recognised; a missed scan means no arrival message.
Is the SMS, WhatsApp or app channel healthy?
Each channel has its own failure points. For SMS, the free SMS Sending App sends the portal's SMS queue from the school's own SIM, campus by campus. If that Android phone is switched off, offline, out of SIM balance or logged out of the wrong campus, the queue waits and parents receive nothing.
If your school uses a branded SMS gateway, check the settings in SMS Gateway Settings. For WhatsApp, the school's own number is linked by scanning a QR code, either through the hosted service or the desktop sender on a school PC. If the link has dropped, or the PC is off, messages do not leave. The WhatsApp balance is shown on the same screen as sending statistics and message history.
- SMS Sending App: phone on, internet working, SIM usable, correct campus selected.
- Branded SMS: gateway details entered correctly in SMS Gateway Settings.
- WhatsApp: number still linked by QR; desktop sender running if you use it; balance available.
- Parents App: the app must be installed and the parent logged in with the one-time code to see notifications.
Could the problem be on the parent's side?
If the same message reaches most families but not a few, look at those families. A wrong, old or missing mobile number is the commonest cause. Siblings may also be linked under a family number, so check the record the message was sent to.
Parents App notifications need the app to be installed. The Parent App Analytics screen shows adoption by class and section, so you can see which classes have few installs. If a parent cannot log in because the SMS code did not arrive, staff can look up or issue the code in the Parent App OTP Portal.
- Check the parent's number on the student record and correct it.
- Ask whether the phone blocks messages from unknown senders or has no signal.
- Use Parent App Analytics to find classes with low app adoption.
- Use the Parent App OTP Portal when the login code does not arrive.
How do I prove what was sent?
Do not rely on memory when a parent complains. EDUBase keeps delivery logs: SMS Report, Family SMS Report and App Notification Report show what was sent and to whom. If a message appears there, the portal did its part and the fault lies with the channel or the phone. If it does not appear, go back to the register and the template.
Keep the check short and the same each time: register, template, channel, number, then logs. Staff then give parents a clear answer instead of a guess.
- Search the Family SMS Report for the family in question.
- Check the App Notification Report for app-based alerts.
- Compare the time sent with the time attendance was marked.
Common reasons attendance messages go missing and where to check
| Symptom | Likely cause | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| No message to any parent in a class | Register not saved for that class | Class register and Attendance alerts |
| No SMS to anyone on one campus | SMS Sending App phone offline or on the wrong campus | The sender phone and its campus setting |
| No branded SMS to anyone | Gateway details incorrect | SMS Gateway Settings |
| No WhatsApp to anyone | Number link dropped, PC off or balance used up | WhatsApp Service screen, balance and history |
| One family receives nothing | Wrong or missing mobile number | Student record and Family SMS Report |
| App alert missing for a few parents | App not installed or parent not logged in | Parent App Analytics and App Notification Report |
| Parent cannot log in to the app | One-time code did not arrive | Parent App OTP Portal |
| Gate scan sent no arrival message | Card not scanned or face not recognised | Attendance records for that child |
Related modules
- Student Attendance — Mark attendance from the class register, the Teacher App, a QR scan or a gate device, and tell parents instantly.
- QR, Biometric & Geo Attendance — Automatic in/out marking from QR cards, biometric machines and phone location.
- Face Attendance Gates — A tablet at the gate recognises the face and marks the child or staff member in.
- SMS, WhatsApp & Notifications — Reach parents by SMS, WhatsApp, branded SMS or app notification, from every screen that matters.
- Parents App Controls — See adoption, control what unpaid families see, and manage parent logins from the web portal.