One message. Every parent. Three channels.

A centralised broadcast platform that sends one message to every parent simultaneously through multiple channels — mobile app push, WhatsApp Business API, DLT-registered SMS — without exposing anyone's phone number. A WhatsApp group is peer-to-peer chat where every parent sees every other parent's number, off-topic conversations bury critical announcements, parents reply at 11 PM about uniform sizes, and there's no audit trail. The software is one-way by default, structured by category (fees/attendance/circulars/emergency), and routes through the right regulatory channel — Indian schools sending bulk SMS without DLT registration face delivery failures and potential TRAI compliance action.

DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) is the blockchain system TRAI uses under TCCCPR 2018 to control bulk SMS in India. Businesses sending more than a handful of SMS must register as a Principal Entity (with PAN and authorisation), provision a Sender ID (Header — 6-character alphanumeric like 'SCHLPT'), and submit message templates for category approval. Schools typically use Service-Implicit templates for routine alerts (attendance, fees, exam results) since there's an existing student-school relationship. SchoolDeck handles the entire DLT onboarding for partner schools — Principal Entity registration, header provisioning, template approval (typical 24-48 hour TRAI turnaround), and ongoing management.

Cascade routes the same message through channels in priority order. Platform tries the SchoolDeck app first — push notification at zero marginal cost. If parent hasn't opened the app in 24 hours or doesn't have it, routes to WhatsApp Business API. If WhatsApp delivery fails (no WhatsApp, template mismatch), falls back to DLT-registered SMS — the universal channel reaching any SIM. Real reach across three channels: 95-98% of parents — not the marketing claim of 100%, but typically including parents on basic feature phones who can't run apps.

Yes — through the WhatsApp Business API. Unlike a WhatsApp group (which requires every parent to opt in by joining and exposes phone numbers), the Business API sends one-to-one official messages from the school's verified business profile. Parents see a verified green-tick school identity (when Meta approves the verification). Templates must be pre-approved by Meta — similar to TRAI's DLT template approval for SMS. SchoolDeck handles Business API onboarding, Meta business verification, and ongoing template management.

Two layers. Section 7 — communication about a parent's own child's school matters typically qualifies as legitimate processing — schools have lawful basis for fee reminders, attendance alerts, exam-result updates without separate marketing consent. Section 9 — any non-routine messaging (alumni newsletters, fundraising, promotional) requires explicit consent collected at admission and recordable. SchoolDeck distinguishes: routine school communication uses Service-Implicit DLT templates with no separate opt-in; non-routine requires recorded consent. No phone-number exposure across parents, no behavioural profiling of minors.

Yes — full Unicode support across all three channels. Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, and any other regional language. Honest detail: Unicode SMS has a per-message character limit of 70 characters (vs 160 for English/Latin) — a Hindi SMS costs the same as English but conveys less. The platform calculates and shows per-message length before broadcast. Templates can be registered in multiple languages with the same DLT registration — e.g., the same fee reminder approved in English, Hindi, and Marathi for a Maharashtra school.

Feature-phone parents receive DLT-registered SMS as the fallback. The platform identifies these parents by preference setting or repeated app-delivery failures, prioritising SMS. For routine alerts (fee reminders, attendance, exam dates), SMS works fine. For richer communication (PDF report cards, photos, detailed circulars), the school may need a parallel print channel for the small share of parents who can't access digital. Operational reality across India, not a platform failure. SchoolDeck identifies which parents to keep on print and which can move fully digital.

WhatsApp groups are free but operationally expensive in hidden ways: teachers' personal phones flooded after-hours, numbers exposed across the parent body, no audit trail for disputes, no DLT compliance for SMS attempts, critical messages buried under birthday party coordination. The software adds direct costs: WhatsApp Business API messaging tiers from Meta, DLT-registered SMS at ₹0.20-₹0.30 per message, app push notifications free. Schools with 1,000-2,000 students typically spend ₹3,000-₹8,000/month on messaging across all channels. Trade-off: institutional control, regulatory compliance, teachers' evenings back.