In a move that may thwart wayward teenagers in Singapore, a school there set up a mobile phone service that alerts parents every time their children play hooky. SMS resource WorldRemind taps into the database and automatically sends a short text message to parents' mobile phones to let them know their child is missing from class. The Next Generation Parents can choose from one of four preset SMS replies to explain their child's absence or state why their child isn't in class.
Teachers receive a summary of the day's attendance once the system has recorded parents' replies.
The Yishun School has about 1,400 students, with 70 percent of their parents toting mobile phones. Teenagers everywhere might have reason to worry. About 20 billion SMS messages are sent every month by mobile phone users in the world, according to Mobile Lifestreams in England. If this system is successful in Singapore, who knows where it'll be tried next. Eruptor Entertainment, a teen-oriented website and creator of a hilarious Pamela Anderson game for Palm handhelds, has released another game, this time poking fun at President Bush.