Dear Students, Parents and Guardians,

I hope you are safe and well.

As part of our vision to digitise the School and move to a paperless environment, we shall soon commence a process whereby all information that has historically been held in paper files will be migrated to a more secure digital environment. The software that will allow us to do so has recently been acquired by the School and is a best-in-class software that is currently being used by thousands of schools around the world.

Regrettably, over this past week a completely inaccurate report was published by a local newspaper in which erroneous statements have been made, suggesting incorrectly that the data of students and their families will be stored in an unsecured environment. The Board of Governors and I have taken a very serious view of this misreporting and are addressing that at the appropriate fora.

It is important for all of you to understand that the company with whom the School has signed the contract is a UK company called Capita Education Software Services, and that its software, called SIMS, was first deployed in 1984 and following regular upgrades is currently being used by over 19,000 schools worldwide. The company and software comply very strictly with GDPR - the EU’s data protection and privacy standards.

An important fact to note is that the SIMS software would be installed in Servers within the school premises and all data of students would be in the custody of the school at all times. Only authorised users within the school would have access to the data on a need to know basis. For example, teachers would have access to the academic records of the pupils under their care, the accounts team would be able to access fee related details, etc.

Once the new software has been set up it will enable the School not only to have a more robust system for home-school communication purposes but will also have a more instantaneous method of tracking student attendance, progress and achievements. Indeed, the app that is part of the package will keep all parents up to date. This is a change that is not only much needed given the times, but one that we all are very excited about as it will make our communication with you more efficient and hopefully also more effective.

Please be aware that the school has an active needs-based financial assistance programme for students who qualify (fee remission). During this challenging time of Covid-19, we have built further flexibility into the programme to assist those who may require financial assistance with up to 100% reduction in the tuition fee. If this is something that you may wish to explore, please do get in touch with my PA for an application form.

Karachi Grammar School is committed to ensuring that every student inhabits an environment in which she or he may learn, grow and thrive to the best of her or his ability. A focus on their wellbeing, health, safety and self-esteem is a priority. Any concerns regarding bullying, harassment or discrimination at the School require and will receive serious attention. Such concerns should be brought to the direct attention of the principal or a member of staff who a student is comfortable with. All such incidents will be taken seriously, investigated and resolved appropriately. Each discussion will be handled with sensitivity and complete confidentiality. The School’s Board of Governors and senior leadership team are always ready to listen while being fully committed to providing a safe, supportive and discrimination-free environment for their learners. Please contact: opendoor@kgs.edu.pk

Kind regards,

Simon Glasson