Students - and parents - learning about their A, B, C online

A Tauranga school is posting student reports on the internet and also plans to allow parents to check online if their children are skipping classes.

The move by Mt Maunganui College is believed to be a New Zealand first and has attracted the attention of a number of schools throughout the country.

It was the brainchild of the school's head of information technology, Kent Lendrum, who is also a computer software developer.

The system works by issuing parents with a password so they can view their child's reports online.

Many other schools in the western Bay of Plenty are considering following the college's lead soon - a move which could affect thousands of students.

Mt Maunganui College says it is all part of widening communication between parents and teachers.

The school is even considering recording students' absences online to help in the fight against truancy.

The initiatives are part of the college upgrading its website and increasing the amount of data parents can read about their student over the internet.

Other possibilities include adding students' timetables to the site and putting assignments online, although the school has gone against two Auckland schools with their 24-hour email access to students.

The idea of putting reports online was conceived last year and offered on trial for parents involved in the parents' trustees association at the end of last year.

Reports were still being sent out on paper, but it was considered an added extra to have them online so parents could access them if they were lost or didn't receive them.

Associate principal Tina Yule said the school had got a "very positive" response from parents.

"They think it is a great idea."

There had been 40 hits in two days since reports were released.

Mr Lendrum said one of the major concerns in developing the programme was security.

He had asked one of the most computer literate students to try to break into the system but he had given up after an hour.

"The sky is the limit as long as it is secure."

Mr Lendrum said he thought about 60 per cent of students' parents had internet access.

Te Puke High School deputy principal David Crone said the Mt Maunganui College ideas "certainly had merit".

"The electronic world opens up many possibilities ... But you have to be sure it is safe."

Otumoetai College principal Dave Randell said the reports idea was the "way of the future" but the college would also maintain hard copy versions.

- NZPA