The answers before the demo.
If your question is not here, send it — we would rather answer it in writing than discover it during installation.
Buying and licensing
Is Books-pro priced per learner?
No. The licence is per school, banded by enrolment size, and billed annually in Ugandan shillings. Adding learners mid-year does not create a new invoice.
What is included in the licence?
The desktop system, both modules, the parent portal, installation on one school server, updates during the licence year, daily backups and two remote support sessions per term on Starter. Standard adds an SMS connection and an on-site training day.
Can we pay for more than one year?
Yes, longer terms are available by agreement, including lifetime licences. The licence file is signed to the school's server host name, so it does not need an internet check.
Do you offer a trial?
We run a guided demo with sample data, or a small extract you provide. A term-limited evaluation licence can be discussed if you need a longer hands-on period.
How do upgrades work?
Tell us on a call, WhatsApp or email. Plan changes and extra modules are configured on your own installation in the same session, and the updated licence file is sent at the same time. There is no reinstall, no data migration and no waiting days for a provisioning request.
Can we pay the licence through ObPay?
Yes. The pricing page can start an ObPay payment for the published Starter and Standard fees: MTN or Airtel mobile money in UGX, or a card charged in USD. Group licences and quotations with add-ons use the link sent with the quotation. The signed licence file is issued when ObPay confirms the payment. This site never collects card details.
What happens when the licence expires?
Data remains intact, but licensed features lock until renewal. Nothing is deleted, and the database can still be exported to JSON.
Are prices negotiable?
The published figures are indicative and depend on enrolment and scope. Migration, extra training and hardware are quoted separately so you can see what you are paying for.
Fees and finance
Does Books-pro work without internet?
Yes for day-to-day school work. Cash receipts, the ledger, marks and report cards work on the school network without internet. Internet is needed for digital payment imports, SMS and remote support.
Which digital payment providers are supported?
SchoolPay, Airtel Money and ObPay collections can be imported against learner payment codes, with unmatched references held in a review list. Availability depends on the school's own merchant accounts and contracts.
Can we split a payment across tuition, boarding and transport?
Yes. One receipt can carry several fee lines and instalments, and the ledger posts the correct split. Receipts can be reprinted with a verification QR code.
Does it handle scholarships and bursaries?
Yes. Record an award against a learner with its value and term. It shows on the fee statement so the bursar and class teacher see the same balance.
Can we import our chart of accounts?
You can build ledgers and groups to match the school's current structure and enter opening balances per ledger. A ready-made school chart is available for common income and expense lines.
Is the trial balance a real double entry system?
Yes. Receipts, payments, journals, payroll and depreciation post to the ledger once, and the day book shows debit and credit totals with the difference.
Do you file URA returns for us?
No. Tax and payroll reports are calculation aids. Filing through URA's systems remains with the school's accountant or tax agent, and PAYE bands should be confirmed for the current year.
Can payroll be switched off?
Yes. Payroll is optional and enabled from the feature settings. Schools that pay staff outside the system can leave it disabled.
Academics and reporting
Does Books-pro record a daily attendance register?
No. It records term attendance totals per learner, which is what report cards and returns use. It is not a period-by-period daily register, and we will say so during the demo.
Can teachers enter marks without coming to the office?
Yes, from any machine on the school network with the right rights. Teachers who keep spreadsheets can import a lin,score file, and the rejected-row report names any LIN that did not match.
Can we keep our own report card design?
The system includes detailed, concise and mid-term layouts with configurable school name, crest and remark blocks. A completely bespoke layout is a customisation discussion rather than a standard setting.
Who can publish results to parents?
Only a role with the publishing right. Teachers can enter marks, but results reach the portal after the head teacher approves the term.
Does the timetable import from aSc?
No. The timetable is built inside Books-pro, with teacher and room clash checks as you go. It prints per class, per teacher or as a wall sheet.
Can parents see the report card offline?
Yes, once downloaded in the Android app. The cached card stays readable without a connection and access expires after 30 days unless the school renews it.
Installation and IT
What hardware do we need?
A Windows computer to act as the school server, a router for the local network, and client machines for the bursar, office and staffroom. A receipt printer is needed for printed receipts. We can advise on specifications before you buy.
Does it need a server room?
No. A locked office with a reliable power supply is enough. The system is designed for a school machine, not a data centre, and daily backups protect against disk failure.
Can staff use it from home?
Optionally, using the school's own domain or remote-access tunnel. It is not enabled by default because exposing a school server to the internet needs care. We will set it up with you if required.
What happens if the server is stolen or fails?
The daily backup is the recovery path. Keep a copy off the server — an external drive or a secure location — and we can restore from it during support.
Does it work on Mac or Linux?
The desktop host is a Windows application. The parent portal is a web page, so parents can use any modern browser on a phone.
Do we need antivirus exclusions?
Sometimes the installer folder or database folder needs an exclusion to avoid file locks. Our installation guide lists the paths, and we check this during setup.
Data and security
Where is our school data stored?
On the school's own server, in a local database. The school keeps daily backups with 30 days retained by default and can export the whole database to JSON at any time.
How are passwords and provider keys protected?
Staff passwords are stored as salted hashes, not plain text. Payment provider secrets are encrypted at rest on the school server and shown masked in the interface.
Who can see payroll and fee balances?
Access is controlled by screen-level rights. A report-only role can read and print without posting or changing masters. Give payroll rights only to the staff who need them.
Do you use our data for anything else?
No. It stays on the school's machine. The Android app carries no third-party advertising or analytics SDKs.
Is there an audit trail?
Each voucher records who posted it and when, and vouchers can be drilled into from the day book. Approval and signing of results locks the term after the head teacher confirms it.
Can we take our data if we leave?
Yes. The database exports to JSON, and reports print or export to PDF. We do not hold your data hostage to a renewal.
Training and support
How long does installation take?
Usually one working day for the software, school setup and a walk-through, assuming the machines and network are ready. Data migration, if needed, is scheduled separately.
Do you train the bursar and teachers?
Yes. Starter includes two remote support sessions per term; Standard includes an on-site training day at the start of term. We train on the school's own fee structure and report card, not a generic demo.
What support do we get during term?
Remote support on school days during the licence. Standard and Groups get priority. We also maintain written guides and a quick-start checklist on this site.
Can you migrate our old data?
Usually. We quote migration separately after seeing the source: an existing system, Excel files or paper. Learner and opening balance migration is the common scope.
What if the person who trained leaves?
Rights and records stay with the school, and the guides are available to the next person. A refresher session can be added to the licence if needed.
Still a question?
Send it with your school size and the module you care about. You will get a written answer, not a sales call.