Privacy Policy

📋 1. Introduction

The Bishop's Education Society ("School", "we", "our") operates the TBES Education mobile application (the "App") available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using the App, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

      🔒 Our Commitment: We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party. Your data is used exclusively to provide school-related services.
    

📦 2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account & Identity Information

Student / Staff name, username, user code
User type (Student / Parent / Staff)
Location ID, academic year, class, section
Profile photo (stored on school server)

2.2 Device Information

Android ID – a unique identifier generated by the Android OS, used solely to authenticate your device on our school server
Device OS version, App version, network type – sent to our server for compatibility purposes

      ℹ️ We do NOT collect IMEI, phone number, SIM details, or any hardware identifier that requires READ_PHONE_STATE permission.
    

2.3 Academic Data

Attendance records, timetable, assignments, digital diary
Virtual ID card data, eWallet balance and transactions
Fee bills, payment history
Leave applications and status
Messages and notifications from school

2.4 Media (Only When You Choose)

Camera / Photos – Only when you attach a photo to a leave application. The photo is uploaded to the school server and not stored on any third-party platform.

2.5 Push Notification Token

Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) token – used exclusively to deliver school announcements and notifications to your device

2.6 Transport Tracking

The Transport screen displays the school bus location received from our server (GPS device installed on bus)
Staff Physical Attendance: Staff members' device GPS location is accessed only at the moment of marking attendance to verify they are within school campus. Location is sent to the school server and is not stored on the device, not tracked in background, and not shared with any third party
Students and Parents: We do NOT access or collect device GPS location

🔐 3. App Permissions Explained

Permission	Why It's Needed	Required
`INTERNET`	Connect to school server for all app features	Yes
`ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE`	Check internet availability before API calls	Yes
`POST_NOTIFICATIONS`	Show push notifications for school announcements (Android 13+)	Optional
`VIBRATE`	Vibrate on notification received	Optional
`CAMERA`	Capture photo for leave application attachment only	Optional
`READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE`	Download message attachments (Android 9–12 only)	Optional
`WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE`	Save downloaded files (Android 9 and below only)	Optional
`ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION`	Staff Physical Attendance only — single-point location check to verify staff is within school campus. No background tracking. Not used by students or parents.	Staff Only
`ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION`	Fallback location for staff attendance verification	Staff Only

Permissions marked Optional will be requested only when you use that specific feature. You can deny them without affecting core app functionality.

⚙️ 4. How We Use Your Information

Authenticate your identity on the school server
Display your academic records (attendance, timetable, assignments, fees)
Send push notifications about school events and announcements
Show school bus location on the Transport screen
Process leave applications with supporting documents
Display virtual ID card and eWallet information
Verify staff location for Physical Attendance marking (staff only)

      We do NOT use your data for advertising, profiling, or any purpose outside of providing school services.
    

🤝 5. Data Sharing & Third Parties

We share data ONLY with:

Party	Data Shared	Purpose
thebishopsschool.org	All academic & account data	School's own server – core app functionality
Google Firebase (FCM)	FCM device token only	Push notifications delivery
Google Maps SDK	Map tiles display only	Show bus location on map

We do NOT share data with:

Advertising networks
Analytics companies
Data brokers
Any third party for commercial purposes

🛡️ 6. Data Security

Encryption in transit: All communications use HTTPS – cleartext HTTP is disabled
No password storage: Passwords are never stored on your device
Secure preferences: Session tokens are stored in encrypted Android DataStore
No analytics SDK: We do not integrate any third-party analytics or crash reporting that collects personal data
No ads SDK: The app contains no advertising networks

🗓️ 7. Data Retention

Data	Retention Period
Session token	Cleared on logout
Android ID (device identifier)	Until app uninstall
FCM token	Updated on each app launch
Leave attachment photos	Not stored on device after upload
Downloaded files (PDFs)	Stored in device Downloads folder – user controlled
Academic data	Stored on school server per school's data policy
Staff location data	Not stored on device — single point sent to server at attendance time only

👨‍👩‍👧 8. Children's Privacy

This App is used by school students, including minors. We take children's privacy seriously:

No advertising is displayed in the App
No data is sold or shared for commercial purposes
Student data is accessed only by the student, their parents, and school staff
Parental/guardian consent is obtained through the school's enrollment process
The App complies with applicable children's privacy laws

✅ 9. Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access your personal data held by the school
Correct inaccurate information
Request deletion of your account data by contacting the school administration
Withdraw consent for optional permissions at any time via device Settings → Apps → TBES Education → Permissions

📊 10. Google Play Data Safety Summary

Data Category	Collected	Shared	Purpose
Name	Yes	No	App functionality
User ID / Account info	Yes	No	Authentication
Device ID (Android ID)	Yes	No	Device authentication
Photos	Yes (optional)	No	Leave attachment only
App interactions	Yes	No	App functionality
Financial info (fees/wallet)	Yes	No	Display only – school data
Precise Location	Yes (Staff only)	No	Staff Physical Attendance verification only — single point, not stored
Contacts	No	No	Not collected
Microphone / Audio	No	No	Not collected

✅ Data is encrypted in transit | ✅ You can request data deletion | ✅ No third-party advertising

🔄 11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

For significant changes, we will notify users through an in-app notification.