Students want their GCSEs by SMS

NEWS With exam results day looming, it seems that teenagers are switching on to the idea of getting their A level or GCSE marks by text. A survey by mobile messaging company Freever found around a third of 18-year-olds would prefer to receive their results by text rather than by post. A level students were the most keen on the idea, with their older and younger counterparts not so enthusiastic about receiving their degree or GCSEs by SMS. While 98 per cent of 16-23-year-olds own a mobile phone, just 20 per cent of 16-year-olds wanted to get grades by text rather than having them posted, and only 26 per cent of 21-year-olds wanted to get further education results sent to their mobile. It was thought by survey respondents that the main benefits of results-by-text would include informing students abroad at the time grades are announced or simply receiving marks sooner. Another innovative use for texting in education is a scheme recently trialled in Yorkshire and North Wales. SMS is used to keep parents and schools in touch over educational matters, such as truancy.