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One Permanent Record Per Student: Why It Matters
2026-10-16 · 3 min read · SMS
The problem with starting over
Every teacher knows the drill: a new session, a new register, and a student you have taught for two years becomes a stranger on paper. Their old marks live in an old file, their old attendance in another.
SMS does it differently. Each student gets one record that follows them, and one permanent code that never changes.
The permanent code
When you add a student, SMS gives them a code like SMS-2026-0001. The year is the year they were added, and the number is theirs for good. It never changes, even if the student changes class, section, or session.
Use the code anywhere — on papers, in messages, in your own notes. It always points to the same student.
One record across sessions
When a student moves to a new class or a new session, you enrol the same record again. Their old attendance, marks, and history stay attached to that one record.
Open the student and look at the History tab: every enrolment, every session, in one place. Nothing is lost when a session is archived.
No duplicates
Because each student has one record and one code, the same student cannot appear twice by accident. If you try to add a student whose code already exists, SMS flags it — in the form, and in the import error report.
If a student leaves and comes back, re-enrol the same record. Do not create a second one.
What this gives you
A full picture of a student, not a snapshot of one session. When a parent asks how their child has done over two years, you open one page and show them.
Getting started: User guide. For moving students between classes, see the same guide section.
Try SMS free
Start free and try it with a real class — or read the step-by-step in the User guide.
