Welcome to VINCOOS! We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and complying with Kenyan laws and regulations regarding data protection and privacy. This Privacy Policy outlines our practices for the collection, use, and disclosure of your information when you use our school management software solutions.

By using our software, you agree to the practices outlined in this Privacy Policy. Please read this policy carefully to understand how we manage your information in accordance with Kenyan laws and regulations.

1. Information We Collect

We access and process the following types of information that are already registered within participating educational institutions:

• 1.1. Educational Staff Information:
  • Teacher names and contact information (as registered by the school)
  • School employment details and assigned permissions
  • Professional role and subject assignments
• 1.2. Student Academic Data (School-Registered):
  • Student names and admission numbers
  • Class assignments and academic records
  • Attendance and performance data
  • School fee information and balances
• 1.3. Parent/Guardian Information (School-Registered):
  • Parent/guardian names and contact details
  • Family relationships to enrolled students
  • Communication preferences set by the school
• 1.4. School Administrative Data:
  • Institution information and settings
  • Academic calendar and term information
  • Class structures and curriculum data
• 1.5. System Usage Information:
  • Authentication logs and session management
  • Feature usage within the educational context
  • System performance and security monitoring

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the school-registered information solely for the following educational management purposes:

• 2.1. To Provide Educational Management Services:
  • Facilitate academic record management and reporting
  • Enable communication between schools, teachers, and parents
  • Process academic assessments and attendance tracking
  • Manage school fee records and financial reporting
  • Generate academic reports and transcripts
• 2.2. To Maintain Software Functionality:
  • Ensure secure access to school management features
  • Maintain data integrity and system performance
  • Provide technical support to contracted schools
• 2.3. Authorized Communication:
  • Send school-authorized notifications to parents and students
  • Provide system updates and maintenance notices to schools
  • Respond to support requests from contracted institutions

3. Data Access and Sharing

We operate strictly within the framework of our contracts with educational institutions. Data access and sharing is limited to:

• 3.1. Within Educational Institution Framework:
  • Authorized school administrators and teachers access data relevant to their roles
  • Parents/guardians access only their own children's information as permitted by the school
  • Students access their own academic records as authorized by the institution
• 3.2. Contractual Service Provision:
  • Technical support staff access data only as necessary for system maintenance
  • Third-party service providers (SMS services) access only contact information as authorized by schools for communication purposes
• 3.3. Legal Compliance:
  • Educational authorities as required by Kenyan education regulations
  • Law enforcement agencies when legally mandated

4. Data Security and Protection

We implement comprehensive security measures to protect school data, including:

• Encrypted data transmission using HTTPS protocols
• Secure password hashing and authentication systems
• Role-based access controls limiting data access to authorized users
• Regular security assessments and monitoring
• Secure session management with automatic expiration
• Rate limiting and protection against unauthorized access attempts

5. Data Retention and School Contracts

Data retention is governed by our contracts with educational institutions and Kenyan educational regulations:

• Academic records are maintained as required by educational authorities
• User session data is automatically purged after 8 days
• Verification codes expire after 5 minutes for security
• Schools control their data retention policies within legal requirements

6. Your Rights Within the Educational Framework

As users within contracted educational institutions, you have the following rights:

• 6.1. Access and Correction:
  • Request access to your personal information through your school administration
  • Request corrections to inaccurate information via proper school channels
• 6.2. Communication Preferences:
  • Opt out of non-essential communications through school settings
  • Update contact preferences via school administration
• 6.3. Account Management:
  • Account creation, modification, and deletion are managed by school administrators
  • Access permissions are controlled by educational institution policies

7. Mobile Application Data Handling

Our mobile application serves as an extension of the web-based school management system:

• No additional data collection beyond web application
• Local storage limited to authentication tokens and session data
• All data accessed is already registered within the school system
• Uses only essential Android SDKs for core functionality
• No third-party analytics, tracking, or advertising components

8. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services or legal requirements. Any material changes will be communicated to contracted schools, and the effective date will be updated. Continued use of our services by schools constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

9. Contact Information

For questions about this Privacy Policy, data handling practices, or to exercise your rights, please contact:

• Primary Contact: Your school administration (for data access and correction requests)
• VINCOOS Support: info@vincoos.com (for technical and policy inquiries)

By using our software solutions within your educational institution, you acknowledge that your school has contracted with VINCOOS for these services and that data processing occurs within this institutional framework, in accordance with Kenyan laws and educational regulations.

VINCOOS Management
info@vincoos.com

Effective Date: 01-Jan-24