The verdict in three sentences
For a school of 2,400 students across two curricula, the first financial issue is collecting term fees on time, with 15 to 25% of balances overdue at each deadline. Custom software at 18,000-40,000 SGD brings together admissions, grades, report cards, online fee payment by PayNow, card or GIRO and automatic reminders. Delivered in 3 to 5 months, it often pays for itself within the first school year through a few points of overdue fees recovered.
The core modules for a dual-curriculum school
A dual-curriculum school runs two assessment systems, term or semester report cards, several levels (kindergarten, primary, secondary) and a fee grid that varies by grade, siblings and options. Spreadsheets hit their limits fast.
| Module | Key features | 2026 budget (order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Admissions and student records | Online pre-registration, documents, class allocation | 3,400 to 6,700 SGD |
| Fees and instalments | Grid per grade, sibling discounts, schedule | 3,400 to 7,800 SGD |
| Online fee payment | PayNow, card, GIRO, automatic receipt | 2,200 to 5,600 SGD |
| Grades and report cards | Two curricula, averages, rankings | 4,500 to 8,900 SGD |
| Parent app | Grades, attendance, balance, school messages | 3,400 to 7,800 SGD |
| Reminders and dashboard | Alerts before due dates, overdue report by class | 1,100 to 3,200 SGD |
| Total | Full project | 18,000 to 40,000 SGD |
Maintenance and hosting usually cost 340 to 900 SGD a month. SMS run around 0.03 to 0.06 SGD each depending on volume, and push notifications in the app are free.
Overdue fees: what online payment changes
Most overdue fees do not come from refusal to pay but from friction: a bank transfer reference forgotten, a cheque left at home, a missed date. Paying from the phone, combined with a reminder 7 days before the deadline, addresses all three.
| Indicator | Without software | With software (target after 1 year) |
|---|---|---|
| Overdue at term deadline | 15 to 25% | 8 to 12% |
| Average days late after deadline | 35 to 50 days | 10 to 20 days |
| Finance office time per deadline day | 6 to 8 hours at the counter | 2 to 3 hours |
| Report card production per term | 5 to 8 days | 1 to 2 days |
| Receipt and balance errors | Frequent | Almost none, timestamped receipt |
Card processing fees, usually 1 to 3% of the amount, can be absorbed by the school or passed on depending on your policy. PayNow and GIRO are far cheaper.
Mini case study
Daniel, director of a dual-curriculum private school in Singapore, has 2,400 students paying an average of 20,000 SGD a year, or 48 million SGD in expected fees. At each deadline 20% is overdue, about 9.6 million SGD paid late by an average of 40 days. Bringing that to 12% and 15 days means about 5.6 million SGD less overdue at each deadline, which frees significant working capital and cuts finance office follow-up work by half. With a 32,000 SGD project and 650 SGD monthly maintenance, the software costs less than 0.1% of annual fee income.
Project plan in 3 to 5 months
| Phase | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping | 2 weeks | Fee grids, report card templates, payment flows |
| Admissions and fees | 4 weeks | Student records, schedules, receipts |
| Online payment and reminders | 3 weeks | Payment provider integration, alerts |
| Grades, report cards and parent app | 5 weeks | Teacher entry, PDF report cards, app |
| Pilot and new term | 2 to 6 weeks | Pilot on one level, then the whole school |
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Ideally, start the project 5 to 6 months before the next intake so it is ready before admissions open.
FAQ
Does the software handle two curricula?
Yes, each class is linked to its curriculum, with its subjects, weightings and report card templates. Report cards can be issued in English, in another language or in both.
Can parents without the app follow their child?
Yes, reminders, balances and key results are also sent by email and SMS. Payment by PayNow QR works from any banking app.
How is student data protected?
Access is limited by role (management, finance, teachers, parents) and every action is logged, in line with the PDPA. Backups run daily with 30 days of history.
Can we import current students and balances?
Yes, importing 2,400 records and balances from your spreadsheets takes about a week. A class-by-class check is done with the finance office.
What does a smaller school cost?
For 500 to 800 students without a parent app, a reduced scope starts around 18,000 SGD. The app can be added the following year.
Let's scope your project. Send us your enrolment, your fee grid and your report card templates to receive a scope priced between 18,000 and 40,000 SGD and a 3 to 5 month plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
