📚 Shulexa Help Center

Complete guide to your School Management System - Features that exist in YOUR system

✨ FIXED Edition - Proper Filtering + Parent Fees Added
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All Topics
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🚀
Getting Started
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🎓
Academic
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📝
Exams
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✅
Attendance
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💵
Fees
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💰
Cash & Bank
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🧾
Expenses
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💼
Payroll
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📚
Library
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📦
Supplies
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📢
Announcements
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📈
Reports
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🚀Getting Started
How do I create a new academic year?+

Setting up school year:

  1. Go to Settings → Academic Years
  2. Click + New Academic Year
  3. Enter year name (e.g., "2024/2025"), start date, end date
  4. Set number of terms (usually 3)
  5. Check "Set as Current Year"
  6. Click Save
How do I set up terms/semesters?+

After creating academic year:

  1. Click on the academic year
  2. Go to "Terms" section
  3. Click + Add Term
  4. For each term: Name, Start Date, End Date, Holidays
  5. Mark which term is currently active
How do I assign multiple roles to staff?+

Your system uses a staff_roles table for multi-role assignment:

  1. Go to Staff page → Click staff member
  2. Go to "Roles" tab
  3. Click + Assign Role
  4. Select role (Teacher, Librarian, Accountant, etc.)
  5. Set start date, end date (optional)
  6. Click Save
💡 Staff can have multiple active roles. Example: Someone can be both Teacher AND Librarian.
How do I link a student to their parent?+

Method 1 - During student registration:

  • When adding student, fill parent information section
  • Search existing parent OR create new
  • Student automatically linked

Method 2 - Link existing student:

  1. Go to Students → Find student
  2. Click "Family" tab
  3. Click + Link Parent
  4. Search by name/email/phone
  5. Select relationship (Father/Mother/Guardian)
  6. Click Link
💵Fees & Exemptions
What is a fee exemption?+

A fee exemption allows you to waive or reduce fees for specific students:

  • Full Exemption (100%) - Student pays nothing
  • Partial Exemption - Student pays reduced amount (e.g., 50%)
  • Temporary - With start and end dates
  • Permanent - Until manually removed

When fees are charged, exempted students automatically pay the reduced amount.

How do I exempt a student from fees?+
  1. Go to Students → Find student
  2. Go to Fee Exemptions section
  3. Click + Add Exemption
  4. Enter: Type (Full/Partial), Percentage, Duration, Reason
  5. Click Save
How do I view fee balance?+

For Students:

  • Dashboard shows Fee Balance card
  • Click to see breakdown by fee type

For Parents:

  • Select child from dropdown
  • Dashboard shows total fees owed
  • Click Pay Now to make payment
What payment methods are available?+

Available payment methods:

  • 💳 Mobile Money - M-Pesa, Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money
  • 🏦 Bank Transfer - Direct to school account
  • 💵 Cash - Pay at school office
  • 💳 Card - Credit/Debit card (if enabled)
How do I pay my child's school fees?+
  1. Login to your parent account
  2. Select your child from dropdown (if multiple children)
  3. Dashboard shows fee balance
  4. Click Pay Now
  5. Choose payment method (Mobile Money, Bank, Card, Cash)
  6. Enter amount to pay (full or partial)
  7. Confirm payment
✅ Payment receipt sent via SMS and email immediately.
How do I view payment history and receipts?+
  1. Go to Fees → Payment History
  2. View all payments made with:
    • Date, Amount, Payment Method
    • Receipt Number
    • Balance Before/After
  3. Click Download Receipt for any payment
  4. Filter by date range or payment method
🎓Academic Management
How do I view all students in a class?+

For Teachers & Admins:

  1. Go to Academic → Classes
  2. Click on the class name
  3. View student list with details
  4. Export to Excel/PDF if needed
How do I create a new class?+
  1. Go to Academic → Classes
  2. Click + New Class
  3. Enter class name, grade level, capacity
  4. Assign Class Teacher
  5. Click Save
How do I add a student to a class?+
  1. Go to Students → Add Student
  2. Fill student details
  3. Select class to enroll in
  4. Add parent information
  5. Click Save
How do I promote students to next grade?+
  1. Go to Academic → Promotions
  2. Select current class
  3. Choose for each student: Promote, Repeat, or Graduate
  4. Select destination class
  5. Click Process
💡 System tracks promotion history in student records.
How do I view my timetable/schedule?+

For Students: Dashboard → Today's Classes or Academic → My Timetable

For Teachers: Dashboard → Teaching Schedule or Teaching → My Timetable

For Parents: View child's timetable from Dashboard

✅Attendance Tracking
How do I mark daily attendance?+
  1. Go to Attendance → Mark Attendance
  2. Select your class and date
  3. Mark each student: Present, Absent, Sick Leave, or Excused
  4. Click Save
💡 Quick Tip: Use "Mark All Present" then change only absent students.
How do I mark lesson-specific attendance?+
  1. Go to Teaching → My Lessons Today
  2. Click on the lesson/period
  3. Click Take Attendance
  4. Mark students for THIS specific lesson
  5. Click Save
What's the difference between daily and lesson attendance?+

Your system has TWO attendance levels:

  • Daily Attendance: Class teacher marks once per day - Was student in school?
  • Lesson Attendance: Subject teacher marks per period - Was student in THIS lesson?

Example: Student marked Present for day, but Absent from Math lesson (skipped class).

How do I view attendance records?+

For Students: Dashboard shows attendance rate and recent records

For Parents: Dashboard shows child's attendance with 7-day history table

How do I generate attendance reports?+
  1. Go to Reports → Attendance
  2. Select report type and date range
  3. Set filters (class, student)
  4. Click Generate
  5. Export if needed
📝Exams & Grading
How is grading calculated in the system?+

Your system uses weighted exam components:

Example setup:

  • Continuous Assessment: 20%
  • Mid-term: 30%
  • Final Exam: 50%

Calculation: If student scores 85, 75, 90 → Final = (85×0.2) + (75×0.3) + (90×0.5) = 84.5

How do I set up exam components?+
  1. Go to Settings → Exam Configuration
  2. Click + Add Component
  3. Enter component name and weight percentage
  4. Ensure total weights = 100%
  5. Click Save
How do I enter exam marks?+
  1. Go to Teaching → Exams
  2. Select exam and class
  3. Enter marks for each student
  4. System calculates weighted scores automatically
  5. Click Save
How do I view exam results?+

For Students: Dashboard → Recent Exam Results shows last 5 exams with scores

For Parents: Select child → Dashboard shows exam results with detailed breakdown

💰Cash & Bank Management
How do I record cash inflow?+
  1. Go to Finance → Cash & Bank
  2. Click + Cash Inflow
  3. Enter: Date, Amount, Received from, Category, Description
  4. Click Record
✅ Automatic: Cash balance increases, cashbook entry created, journal entry created.
How do I record cash outflow?+
  1. Go to Finance → Cash & Bank
  2. Click + Cash Outflow
  3. Enter: Date, Amount, Paid to, Category, Description
  4. Click Record
How do I record money received directly to bank?+
  1. Go to Finance → Cash & Bank
  2. Click + Bank Deposit
  3. Select bank account
  4. Enter amount and details
  5. Click Record
💡 Cash balance unchanged, only bank balance increases.
How do I record payments made directly from bank?+
  1. Click + Bank Payment
  2. Select bank account
  3. Enter payment details
  4. Click Record
How do I transfer money between bank accounts?+
  1. Click + Transfer Between Accounts
  2. Select From and To accounts
  3. Enter amount
  4. Click Record
How do I add a new bank account?+
  1. Go to Cash & Bank → Accounts
  2. Click + Add Bank Account
  3. Enter: Bank name, Account number, Branch, Opening balance
  4. Click Save
How do I record bank fees and charges?+
  1. Click + Bank Charges
  2. Select bank account
  3. Enter charge amount and type
  4. Click Record
How do I check current cash and bank balances?+

Go to Finance → Cash & Bank → Dashboard

View:

  • Cash on Hand
  • Each Bank Account Balance
  • Total Liquid Assets
How do I view transaction history?+
  1. Go to Cash & Bank → Transactions
  2. Filter by date range, account, or category
  3. View all transactions with balances
  4. Export to Excel/PDF if needed
Do I need to manually create accounting entries?+

No! All accounting is automatic.

Every cash/bank transaction automatically creates:

  • Cashbook Entry
  • Journal Entry (double-entry bookkeeping)
✅ Just record the transaction - system handles all accounting automatically.
🧾Expenses
How do I record a school expense?+
  1. Go to Finance → Expenses
  2. Click + New Expense
  3. Enter: Date, Category, Amount, Paid to, Description
  4. Choose: Paid now OR Save as unpaid
  5. Click Save
What expense categories are available?+
  • Utilities (Electricity, Water, Internet)
  • Maintenance & Repairs
  • Transport
  • Office Supplies
  • Insurance
  • Professional Fees
  • Other
How do I pay an expense that was saved as unpaid?+
  1. Go to Expenses → Unpaid tab
  2. Find the expense
  3. Click Pay Now
  4. Confirm payment method and date
  5. Click Record Payment
How do I see expense summary by category?+
  1. Go to Expenses → Reports
  2. Select report type and date range
  3. View totals by category with charts
  4. Export if needed
What's the difference between Expenses and Supplies?+

Expenses: One-time payments (utilities, repairs) - just record and pay

Supplies: Stock items issued over time - track inventory, issues, returns

💼Payroll & Salaries
How can I view my salary information?+
  1. Go to My Profile → Salary tab
  2. View 5 tabs:
    • Overview - Base salary, deductions, net pay
    • Pay History - Last 12 months
    • Deductions - Active deductions
    • Advances - Outstanding advances
    • Salary Debts - Any amounts owed
  3. Click any month for detailed payslip
How do I process monthly salaries?+
  1. Go to Finance → Payroll
  2. Click Process Salaries
  3. Select month and payment date
  4. Review calculated amounts (gross, deductions, net)
  5. Click Confirm & Process
✅ Automatic: All deductions, advances, and salary debts deducted automatically.
How do I set up deduction categories?+
  1. Go to Payroll → Settings
  2. Click Deduction Categories
  3. Click + New Category
  4. Enter name, type (Fixed/Percentage), default value
  5. Click Save
⚠️ Create categories BEFORE assigning to staff.
How do I add deductions to staff salary?+
  1. Go to Staff → Click staff member
  2. Go to Salary tab → Deductions
  3. Click + Add Deduction
  4. Select category, amount, start/end dates
  5. Click Save
How do I request or give a salary advance?+

For Teachers - Request:

  1. Go to My Profile → Salary → Advances
  2. Click Request Advance
  3. Enter amount, reason, repayment plan
  4. Submit for admin approval

For Admins - Give:

  1. Go to Payroll → Advances
  2. Click + Give Advance
  3. Select staff, enter amount and recovery plan
  4. Click Give Advance
💡 Advance = Cash paid NOW, recovered from future salaries automatically.
What is a Salary Debt?+

Salary Debt vs Advance:

  • Advance: Cash paid to staff, recovered later
  • Salary Debt: Money OWED (damaged property, lost items) - NO cash paid, just tracked as debt

Both recovered automatically from future salaries.

How do I add bonuses or overtime?+
  1. Go to Staff → Click staff → Salary tab
  2. Click + Add Bonus/Allowance
  3. Select type: Bonus, Overtime, Allowance, Commission
  4. Enter amount, month to pay, recurring (Yes/No)
  5. Click Save
📚Library Management
How do I borrow a book from the library?+
  1. Go to Library → Browse Books
  2. Search for book
  3. Click Request to Borrow
  4. Wait for librarian approval
  5. Collect book from library
💡 Borrow Period: Students 14 days | Teachers 30 days
How do I return a borrowed book?+
  1. Bring book to library
  2. Librarian processes return in system
  3. If late, fine applied (500/day)
  4. Pay fine immediately or later
How do I see my borrowing history?+

Go to Library → My Library

4 tabs:

  • Browse - Search books
  • Pending Requests - Awaiting approval
  • Active Borrows - Currently borrowed
  • History - All past borrows
How do I approve or reject borrow requests?+
  1. Go to Library → Pending Requests
  2. View borrower's reputation and active borrows
  3. Click ✅ Approve or ❌ Reject
  4. If rejecting, select reason
What are the borrow limits?+
Rule Students Teachers
Borrow Period 14 days 30 days
Late Fine 500/day 500/day
What are the borrower reputation badges?+
  • 🆕 New Borrower - Less than 5 borrows
  • 🟢 Good Standing - 5+ borrows, no late returns, low fines
  • 🟡 Average - 1-2 late returns OR moderate fines
  • 🔴 Red Flag - 3+ late returns OR high fines (>3,000)
How do I add a new book?+
  1. Go to Library → Books
  2. Click + Add Book
  3. Enter: Title, Author, Category, Subject, Publisher
  4. Upload cover image (optional)
  5. Enter stock quantity
  6. Click Save
How do I purchase or receive books?+

Direct Purchase:

  1. Go to Library → Orders
  2. Click + New Order → "Direct Purchase"
  3. Select books and quantities
  4. Click "Receive Stock Now"
  5. Stock added immediately

Tender Process: For large purchases with competitive bidding

How does the library fine system work?+

Fine Rate: 500 per day late

Example: Book due Jan 15, returned Jan 20 = 5 days × 500 = 2,500

Payment:

  • Pay when returning book, OR
  • Go to Library → My Fines → Pay later
⚠️ Cannot borrow if fines > 3,000
How do I see what books my child has borrowed?+
  1. Select your child from dropdown
  2. Dashboard → "Library Books" section
  3. View: Currently borrowed, due dates, any overdue/fines
📦Supplies Management
How do I add a new supply item?+
  1. Go to Supplies → Items
  2. Click + Add Supply
  3. Enter: Name, Category, Item Type, Unit
  4. Set minimum stock level for alerts
  5. Click Save
What do Perishable, Durable, Reusable, and Consumable mean?+

Your system tracks 4 supply types:

  • Perishable: Expires (chemicals, food) - tracks expiry dates
  • Durable: Long-lasting assets (computers, furniture) - tracks with serial numbers
  • Reusable: Issued and returned (sports equipment, tools) - tracks who has it
  • Consumable: Used up (paper, pens) - simple quantity tracking
How do I request supplies?+
  1. Go to Supplies → Request
  2. Click + New Request
  3. Select item and enter quantity
  4. Enter purpose and needed-by date
  5. Submit for approval
Can I cancel a supply request?+

Yes, if still pending:

Go to My Requests → Find request → Click Cancel

⚠️ Cannot cancel after approval.
How do I track supplies issued to me?+

Go to Supplies → My Supplies

2 tabs:

  • Active Issues: Currently with you (for reusables, shows due dates)
  • History: All past issues and returns
How do I purchase supplies?+

Direct Purchase:

  1. Go to Supplies → Orders
  2. Click + New Order
  3. Select items and quantities
  4. Click "Receive Stock Now" if delivered

Tender: For large competitive purchases

How do I issue supplies?+
  1. Go to Supplies → Pending Requests
  2. Review each request
  3. Click ✅ Approve or ❌ Reject
  4. For reusables: Set expected return date
  5. User collects items
How do I record returns or mark as used?+

For Reusables:

  1. Go to Active Issues
  2. Click Record Return
  3. Inspect condition: Good/Damaged/Lost
  4. If damaged, charge user
  5. Return to stock or mark damaged

For Consumables: Automatically marked as used when issued.

How do I check stock levels?+

Go to Supplies → Dashboard

View:

  • Low Stock Items (below minimum)
  • Out of Stock
  • Expiring Soon (perishables)
  • Total Stock Value
How do I manually adjust stock?+
  1. Find item → Click Adjust Stock
  2. Choose: Add/Remove/Set exact quantity
  3. Enter quantity and reason
  4. Click Save
⚠️ All adjustments logged with who, when, why.
📢Announcements
How do I create an announcement?+
  1. Go to Announcements
  2. Click + New Announcement
  3. Enter title and message
  4. Select target audience (14 options available)
  5. Set priority (Normal/Important/Urgent)
  6. Click Publish
✅ System sends in-app notifications and emails automatically.
Who can see announcements?+

Your system has 14 target audience types:

  • All Users, All Staff, All Students, All Parents
  • Specific Class, Specific Grade Level
  • Teachers Only, Admins Only
  • And more...

Recipients see announcement in dashboard and receive email notification.

How do I view announcements?+

Dashboard shows recent announcements for you.

Click View All Announcements for complete list.

How do I delete or edit an announcement?+
  1. Go to Announcements
  2. Find announcement
  3. Click Edit or Delete
  4. Make changes and save
📈Reports & Analytics
What is "Score" in performance reports?+

Score is a 0-100 rating combining:

  • Academic Performance (60%) - Average exam marks
  • Attendance (20%) - Days present
  • Behavior (10%) - Disciplinary record
  • Assignments (10%) - Completion rate

Categories: 90-100 Outstanding | 80-89 Excellent | 70-79 Good | 60-69 Satisfactory | Below 60 Needs Improvement

What is "Trend" in analytics?+

Trend shows performance direction:

  • 📈 Improving - Score up 5+ points (green)
  • 📊 Stable - Between -5 and +5 (blue)
  • 📉 Declining - Score down 5+ points (red)

Example: Term 1: 70, Term 2: 75, Term 3: 82 = Trend: 📈 Improving (+12)

How do I generate a student academic report?+
  1. Go to Reports → Academic
  2. Select: Academic Year and Term
  3. Choose report type: Individual Student, Class, or Subject
  4. Apply filters (class, stream, student)
  5. Click Generate Report
  6. Click Print or Download PDF
💡 Reports only show results once the term is "Approved" by the admin.
How is class position/rank calculated?+

Class position is calculated by ranking students by their overall average percentage across all subjects in the term.

  • Highest average = Position 1
  • Students with the same average share the same position
  • Position only shown when the term is published/approved
💡 Position can be disabled in school settings if your school doesn't rank students.
How do I approve/publish term results?+
  1. Go to Academic → Terms
  2. Click on the term you want to publish
  3. Review that all marks are entered
  4. Click Approve Term
⚠️ Once approved, students and parents can view final grades and class positions. Ensure all marks are entered first.
How do I view financial reports?+
  1. Go to Reports → Finance
  2. Choose from: Fee Collection, Expenses Summary, Payroll, Cash Flow, or Balance Sheet
  3. Set date range
  4. Click Generate
  5. Export to Excel or PDF as needed
How do I view fee collection and outstanding balances?+
  1. Go to Finance → Fees → Collection Report
  2. Select term/year
  3. View: Total Expected, Total Collected, Outstanding Balance
  4. Click Defaulters List to see students with unpaid fees
  5. Export list for follow-up
💡 Students with outstanding mandatory fees are automatically blocked from viewing results and attendance until paid.
Why is my access to results/attendance locked?+

Access to Results, Attendance, and Files is locked when you have unpaid mandatory fees.

You will see a 🔒 Access Locked banner with your outstanding balance.

To unlock:

  1. Click 💳 Pay Fee Now on the locked page
  2. Pay the outstanding balance (full or partial)
  3. Wait for payment confirmation
  4. Refresh the page — access restored automatically
✅ You can always view results from previous terms where fees were fully paid.
How do I pay fees online?+
  1. Go to Fees section from your dashboard
  2. Select the school and outstanding bill
  3. Click Pay Online
  4. Choose payment method:
    • 📱 Mobile Money (M-Pesa, Tigo, Airtel)
    • 💳 Debit/Credit Card (Visa, Mastercard)
  5. Enter amount (can be partial — e.g. pay half now)
  6. Complete payment via Flutterwave secure gateway
  7. Receipt generated automatically
✅ Online payments are confirmed instantly — no waiting for admin approval.
💡 Cash payments must be recorded by the school cashier/admin before they appear on your account.
I'm on scholarship/sponsorship — do fees block my access?+

No! Students with the following fee statuses are never blocked:

  • 🎓 Sponsored — fees covered by a sponsor
  • ✅ Exempt — fully waived by school
  • 🤝 Relieved — temporary relief granted

If you believe your status is incorrect, contact the school admin to update your fee status.

How do I mark a fee category as mandatory (compulsory)?+

Only fees marked as Mandatory/Compulsory trigger the access lock for students and parents.

  1. Go to Finance → Fee Categories
  2. Click + Add Category or edit existing
  3. Check the box "Is Mandatory/Compulsory"
  4. Click Save
⚠️ Non-mandatory fees (e.g., optional clubs, trips) never block access — only truly compulsory fees should be marked mandatory.
How do I confirm a student's cash payment?+
  1. Go to Finance → Fees → Record Payment
  2. Search for the student
  3. Select the bill(s) being paid
  4. Enter: Amount received, Payment date, Reference number
  5. Click Record Cash Payment
✅ Once recorded, the student's access is immediately restored for that term.
My students aren't showing up when I try to enter marks. What do I do?+

This is usually because students aren't registered for your subject yet. The system has an automatic fix:

  1. Go to Teaching → My Subjects
  2. Click ✏️ Enter Marks for the subject
  3. Select the class
  4. The system automatically registers all class students for your subject
  5. Students should now appear in the marks entry grid
💡 If students still don't appear, ask the admin to verify that: (a) you are assigned to the subject, and (b) students are enrolled in the correct class.
I get "Student not registered" error when saving marks. How to fix?+

This error occurs when a student is in the class but not formally registered for the subject. The system now auto-registers students when you load the marks entry page.

Quick fix:

  1. Close the marks entry page
  2. Go back to My Subjects → Click Enter Marks again
  3. Select the class — this triggers auto-registration
  4. Try saving marks again

If the issue persists, ask admin to check Subject Registrations for the student.

How do I mark a student as absent for an exam component?+
  1. In the marks entry grid, find the student row
  2. Check the Absent checkbox for that component
  3. The marks field will be disabled automatically
  4. Save as normal
💡 Absent students show "Absent" instead of a score on their results page. This does not count as 0 for calculations — it's treated as a missing component.
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