Rethinking communication in schools

Particularly in emergencies, but also when it comes to providing legally compliant declarations of consent, reporting children ill or, for example, when lessons are canceled, fast and direct communication is essential for students, teachers and parents. Christian Stredicke, CEO of Vodia, knows how this can be implemented efficiently and in a way that is suitable for everyday use. He explains what positive experiences schools have already had with VoIP telephone systems, where there is still a need for action - and which tools will make communication easier and more modern for everyone involved.

The "DigitalPakt Schule" was adopted by the German government in 2019 to improve the IT infrastructure in schools and make pupils and teachers digitally fit. Over three billion euros have already been invested in Wi-Fi and end devices in educational institutions. The "Digital Pact 2.0" is set to follow this year. The German digital strategies for schools focus on secure communication, digital identities, data protection and a reflective approach to media. While modern tools are increasingly being used in the classroom itself, general communication in the school system often still lags behind the possibilities. "Communication still often takes place via traditional telephone systems, for example. It can take a lot of valuable time for information to reach teachers or pupils from the secretary's office, for example," explains Christian Stredicke, CEO of Vodia, who has been working with modern telephone systems for twenty years. He points out the advantages and security offered by VoIP systems in schools. These include Relief for the secretariat, fast communication in everyday life and alarm systems. In addition, care is taken to ensure that privacy and data protection are maintained.

VoIP in everyday school life: the "Smart School" shows the way

Who doesn't know this from their own school days? A case of illness, a lesson is canceled or important information needs to be passed on quickly to students, teachers or parents. But a lot of time usually passes before the number of the relevant teacher or parent is found and the message reaches the person responsible. Especially in emergencies, where every second counts, rapid information distribution is essential in the school system. "This is exactly where VoIP systems can make a big difference. Digital call answering or automated processing using voice messages and AI allows information to be recorded, forwarded and documented quickly," explains Stredicke. With the "Smart School" project, the company has integrated its VoIP system into a platform for school communication that gives schools a digitalization boost. To demonstrate the benefits of modern communication, the 2024 project has already been tested in everyday school life in Germany with the "Schlaue Schule" platform. The cloud-based platform enables educational institutions to transmit declarations of consent, sick notes and notifications securely and efficiently. It does this by adopting templates and voice functions from the Vodia PBX. Insecure channels such as messenger services or email are replaced. Teachers can thus provide legally compliant proof of all communication processes at any time. The voice communication functions include Microsoft Teams integration, school bell and announcement control and teacher caller ID. The possible uses of this system can be flexibly adapted depending on the size of the school. Everyday communication processes are also made easier thanks to digital short forms for declarations of consent, sick notes and many other applications. At the same time, this ensures greater legal certainty, for example in the digital transmission of declarations of consent. "The VoIP system has been seamlessly and easily integrated into the 'Smart School' platform. It can also be easily integrated into school administration systems or digital class registers," says Stredicke. "Interested parties can register for free participation and start directly in the coming school year 2025/26," the CEO continues, emphasizing that the measures are in line with all compliance regulations and GDPR-compliant.

Crisis management in real time: no time to lose in emergencies

In addition to the advantages that VoIP systems bring to schools in terms of data protection and privacy, digital communication also offers great benefits in emergency situations. Stredicke and his company have already equipped numerous schools in the USA, as he reports: "In emergency situations, every second counts. Teachers can raise the alarm immediately via emergency buttons in the classroom. The Vodia PBX then automatically informs the school management, emergency services and the police. At the same time, teachers receive warning messages via loudspeaker or as a discreet text message, depending on the threat situation." The CEO explains exactly how the system works: "This means that important information reaches everyone involved quickly. Teachers and pupils receive a clear picture of the situation, while the school management can make an initial assessment and alert the entire school immediately. This VoIP system informs the emergency services directly via an emergency call - so help can be provided quickly in an emergency." Once the threat has passed, the entire school is also informed via this system. In an emergency, valuable minutes are often wasted that would not have been technologically necessary," the expert points out.

Why e-mail and messengers are problematic

However, it is not only in the event of a crisis that the importance of a reliable and secure communication infrastructure becomes apparent. There are also disadvantages to using conventional channels such as WhatsApp, email and other messengers in everyday school life. The expert considers the fact that messages are often sent in this way to be risky. "Many teachers and students have been writing via chat groups, such as WhatsApp, or via email for several years. It's quick and, in addition to texts, images and documents can also be sent with just one click. However, this is not secure and it leads to many unstructured communication processes that ultimately cannot be logged clearly or in a legally secure manner," warns the VoIP expert. He continues: "Data protection is also not a given here - partly because messenger services are often linked to teachers' private devices. With WhatsApp, for example, all contacts on the respective cell phone are transmitted to the provider. Particularly when it comes to sensitive topics such as learning progress, social problems or other personal data, extreme caution is required - there is no question of real privacy here," Stredicke points out. The solution? "Connection data must not leave the internal platform and must be processed in compliance with the GDPR. With the 'Smart School' platform and the integrated Vodia PBX, teachers can use the services on any end device without making themselves legally vulnerable. Insecure communication channels such as email and messenger are now a thing of the past," says the Vodia CEO.

Digital school communication that works for everyone

A secure alternative in digital exchange is therefore needed. However, in addition to modern equipment, ease of use is also crucial for a smooth process. After all, the school community ranges from children and young people to younger teachers and parents to older people who have not grown up with digital tools. For them, modernization sometimes means getting used to it at first, but in most cases it makes things much easier in the short term. User-friendly operation is therefore essential. In this context, Christian Stredicke is reassuring: "The service doesn't take long to get used to. The reduced web interface is self-explanatory and brings immediate benefits in everyday school life. We also provide support with detailed onboarding." Another benefit is the simple integration of the security system into existing school administration systems, as the IT expert explains: "Schools only need a stable network, an Internet connection and a professionally operated IT system." The Vodia PBX can be used as an on-premises (locally hosted) or cloud-based solution and has the potential to replace complex, expensive telephone systems. "Thanks to migration tools and existing telephones, it can be set up quickly. Integration with school management software, digital class registers, alarm systems, door openings, single sign-on and AI solutions ensure smooth processes," concludes Stredicke.