Help Center
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to 30+ common questions about EBingwa's free school management system. Learn about CBC management, fee tracking, student admission, security, offline mode, and more.
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Getting Started
What is EBingwa?
EBingwa is a comprehensive, free school management system designed specifically for Kenyan schools. It integrates student information, fee management, CBC assessments, transport tracking, attendance, and parent communication into one unified platform. Built with real schools in Nairobi, Eldoret, and Kisumu, EBingwa eliminates the need for Excel spreadsheets and disconnected tools.
Is EBingwa really free?
Yes, EBingwa is 100% free forever. There are no license fees, no paid tiers, no per-student charges, and no hidden costs. Every feature we develop is included for all schools at no charge. We believe every school, regardless of budget or location, deserves access to world-class management tools.
Why is EBingwa free? How do you make money?
EBingwa is free forever because it is built and maintained by developers giving back to the education community. We do not sell or monetize school data, we do not charge license fees, and we do not lock features behind tiers. The focus is simple: make modern school tools accessible to every school.
How long does it take to get started with EBingwa?
Most schools are up and running within two weeks. The process includes a 15-minute discovery call, workspace configuration with your school's data structure, a two-week pilot period with live training, and full rollout. We provide migration tools, step-by-step guides, and dedicated support throughout the process.
Do I need technical skills to use EBingwa?
No technical skills required. EBingwa is designed for school administrators, teachers, and staff. The interface is intuitive, and we provide comprehensive training. Most users become comfortable within the first week of use.
Can I try EBingwa before committing?
Absolutely. We offer a two-week pilot period where your leadership team can use EBingwa with real data. If it doesn't work for your school, you can walk away with no questions asked. No contracts, no commitments.
Features & Capabilities
Which curricula does EBingwa support?
EBingwa supports CBC (Competency-Based Curriculum), Cambridge, ACE, IB, and locally defined curricula. You can configure grading scales, assessment templates, school terms, semester structures, and languages to match your specific context. The system is flexible enough to accommodate both traditional primary/secondary schools and universities.
Does EBingwa work offline?
Yes, EBingwa has robust offline capabilities. Teachers can take attendance, record CBC assessments, log transport runs, and enter grades offline. All data automatically syncs when the device reconnects to the internet. This is especially useful in areas with unreliable internet connectivity.
Can parents and guardians access EBingwa?
Yes. Parents and guardians receive a dedicated portal where they can view their child's attendance, grades, fee balances, transport information, and communicate with teachers. They also receive automated SMS, WhatsApp, and email updates based on your school's communication preferences.
What devices can I use with EBingwa?
EBingwa works on any device with a modern web browser, including phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. Parents can also use the EBingwa Android app from the Google Play Store to check results, fee balances, attendance, and school updates on their phones.
Does EBingwa support bulk operations?
Yes. EBingwa supports bulk student uploads via CSV, bulk fee structure creation, bulk SMS messaging, bulk document uploads, and bulk assessment entry. This saves significant time compared to manual entry.
Can I customize EBingwa for my school?
Yes. EBingwa is highly configurable. You can customize fee structures, assessment rubrics, report templates, user roles and permissions, communication templates, and more. During onboarding, we configure EBingwa specifically for your school's needs.
CBC Management
How does EBingwa handle CBC assessments?
EBingwa provides comprehensive CBC management tools including pre-built assessment templates aligned with Kenya's Competency-Based Curriculum, customizable rubrics, progress tracking across all learning areas, digital portfolio management, and automated CBC-compliant report generation. Teachers can record competencies, track student progress, and generate reports that meet CBC requirements.
Can I create custom CBC assessment templates?
Yes. While EBingwa comes with pre-built CBC templates, you can create and customize your own assessment templates, rubrics, and criteria to match your school's specific approach to CBC implementation.
How do I generate CBC progress reports?
CBC progress reports can be generated automatically in EBingwa. The system tracks all competencies and learning areas, and you can generate comprehensive reports for individual students or entire classes. Reports can be exported to PDF and shared with parents digitally.
Interactive Preview
Competency-Based Curriculum Dashboard
EBingwa simplifies assessment entry and report generation. Teachers can record learner progress in real-time, matching skills to custom rubrics without tedious paperwork.
- Automated CBC report cards
- Simple competency checklists
- Instant PDF exports for parents
Fee Management
How does EBingwa handle school fee collection?
EBingwa automates the entire fee management process. You can create flexible fee structures for different programs and levels, set up payment plans and installments, track payments in real-time, generate automated receipts, and send payment reminders. The system eliminates manual fee reconciliation.
Can I set up payment plans and installments?
Yes. EBingwa supports flexible payment structures including full payment, installments, and custom payment plans. You can set due dates, track partial payments, and send automated reminders for upcoming or overdue payments.
How do I track fee balances and outstanding amounts?
EBingwa provides real-time fee tracking. You can see every student's current balance, payment history, outstanding amounts, and overdue fees at a glance. The system generates comprehensive financial reports and reconciliation statements with one click.
Financial Control
Automated Fee & Payments Tracking
Never manually reconcile another fee payment. EBingwa connects collections, payment installments, outstanding balances, and receipting under one absolute trust model.
- Direct bank & M-Pesa integration
- Automated installment schedules
- Real-time ledger updates
Student Admission & Enrollment
How does student admission work in EBingwa?
EBingwa streamlines student admission with digital inquiry forms, online application processing, bulk document uploads, automated enrollment workflows, and instant student record creation. Once a student is approved, their record is automatically created and ready for class assignment.
Can parents apply online?
Yes. Parents can fill out inquiry and application forms online from anywhere. All submissions are automatically organized in EBingwa, making it easy for school administrators to review and process applications.
How do I manage student enrollment and class assignments?
EBingwa supports both traditional class-based enrollment (for primary/secondary schools) and semester-based enrollment (for universities/colleges). You can assign students to classes or programs, track enrollment history, manage transfers, and handle promotions automatically.
Security & Data Privacy
256-bit AES
4x Daily Backups
ODPC Compliant
How secure is our school data?
EBingwa uses bank-grade encryption for data in transit and at rest. We implement granular role-based permissions so you control exactly who can see what information. Regular automated backups ensure data safety, and comprehensive audit trails track all system activity. We never monetize or sell school data.
Where is our data stored?
School data is stored securely in the cloud with regional backups. We use industry-standard security practices and comply with data protection regulations. You maintain full ownership and control of your data at all times.
Can I export our data if we decide to leave?
Yes. You can export all your data at any time in standard formats (CSV, Excel, PDF). We believe in data portability and will never lock you into the platform.
Who can access our school data?
Only users you explicitly grant access to can view your school data. You control all permissions through role-based access control. EBingwa staff only access data when you request support, and we maintain strict confidentiality.
Support & Training
What kind of support does EBingwa provide?
We provide comprehensive support including live training sessions (recorded for future reference), email and phone support, WhatsApp support, step-by-step guides, video tutorials, and direct access to the development team. No ticket systems or "we'll get back to you in 48 hours" delays.
Do you provide training for our staff?
Yes. We provide live training sessions for all staff members during onboarding, and we record these sessions so new teachers can watch them later. We also offer ongoing training as new features are released.
What if we need help with data migration?
We provide migration tools and dedicated support to help you import existing student data, fee structures, staff information, and other records from Excel or other systems. Our team guides you through the entire migration process.
Technical & Requirements
What are the system requirements for EBingwa?
EBingwa works on any device with a modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). No special hardware or software installation required. For the best experience, we recommend a stable internet connection, though offline mode works for core functions.
Do I need to install anything?
No installation is required for school staff using web access. EBingwa runs in your browser. Parents who prefer an app experience can install the EBingwa Android app from the Google Play Store.
How often is EBingwa updated?
EBingwa receives regular updates with new features, improvements, and security patches. Updates are automatic and don't require any action from you. We ship features based on feedback from real schools using the platform.
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