Messages for parents, from first enquiry to next term
Change the words until they sound like your centre, then save each one as a quick reply. Square brackets are the parts you fill in.
1. First reply to a parent's enquiry
Hi [name], thanks for asking about [subject] classes at [centre]. Which level is your child in, and which days usually work for you?
2. Offering a trial class
Thanks [name]. We have a trial [subject] class for [level] on [day, time] or [day, time]. Would either suit [child's name]?
3. Trial class confirmed
Hi [name], [child's name] is booked for the trial [subject] class on [day, date] at [time], at [address], so please bring [what to bring]. Our teacher, [teacher's name], will meet you at the front desk.
4. Reminder the day before the trial
Hi [name], a reminder that [child's name]'s trial class is tomorrow at [time]. Reply 1 to confirm, or tell me if you need another slot.
5. After the trial class
Hi [name], thanks for bringing [child's name] today. [Teacher's name] said [one specific thing from the class]. Shall I hold a place for [child's name] in the [day] class next term?
6. Enrolment confirmed
Hi [name], [child's name] is enrolled in [class] on [day] at [time], and the first class is on [date]. I'll send the term calendar and fee details separately.
7. Weekly class reminder
Hi [name], a reminder that [child's name] has [subject] tomorrow at [time]. Please bring [worksheet / book / device].
8. Class cancelled or moved
Hi [name], [day]'s [subject] class has moved to [new day, time] because [reason in one line]. Please reply if the new time doesn't work and we'll find another slot.
9. Offering a make-up class
Hi [name], [child's name] missed [day]'s class. We can offer a make-up on [day, time] or [day, time]. Which would you prefer?
10. Fees for the new term
Hi [name], the fees for [child's name]'s [class] next term come to [amount], due by [date]. You can pay by [payment method]. Reply here if you have any questions.
11. Fee reminder
Hi [name], a gentle reminder that [child's name]'s fees for [term] were due on [date]. If you've already paid, please send the screenshot and I'll update our records.
12. Term dates and holidays
Hi [name], term [number] runs from [date] to [date]. There are no classes on [dates] for [holiday]. The full calendar is here: [link].
13. Asking for a progress meeting
Hi [name], [teacher's name] would like 15 minutes with you about [child's name]'s progress in [subject]. Would [day, time] or [day, time] work?
14. Sharing homework or notes
Hi [name], here are today's notes for [child's name]'s [subject] class: [link / file]. Homework is [task], due [day].
15. A parent who went quiet after the trial
Hi [name], just checking in after [child's name]'s trial. If the timing isn't right this term, that's completely fine. Shall I check back before next term instead?
16. Thank you at the end of the year
Hi [name], thank you for being with [centre] this year. [Child's name] worked hard on [one specific thing]. We'll send next year's timetable in [month].
Messages 1 to 14 answer a parent or tell them about a class their child is in. Messages 15 and 16 are you writing first, so send them only to parents who've already been in touch with you.
Business API versions, with the category Meta gives each
A centre that messages hundreds of families through the Business API needs Meta to approve each template first. These four follow Meta's rules: numbered variables in double curly brackets, in order, never at the very start or end. The category in brackets is the one Meta's categorisation guide gives that kind of message.
Class reminder (utility)
Hi {{1}}, a reminder that {{2}} has {{3}} class tomorrow at {{4}}. Reply here if your child can't make it.
Class moved (utility)
Hi {{1}}, the {{2}} class on {{3}} has moved to {{4}}. Reply here if the new time doesn't suit you.
Fees due (utility)
Hi {{1}}, the fees for {{2}} for {{3}} are due on {{4}}. Reply here if you have any questions about the amount.
Next term's places (Meta counts this as marketing)
Hi {{1}}, places for {{2}} classes next term open on {{3}}. Reply YES and we'll hold one for {{4}}, or reply STOP to stop these messages.
The last one is marketing, since it asks a family to sign on for more classes.
Meta's categorisation guide says a template is utility only if it's non-promotional and about something the customer already has, like a class their child attends. As of November 2026, Meta charges SGD 0.0937 for a marketing message to a Singapore number and SGD 0.0205 for a utility one.
What makes a message to parents work
A good message is one parents can answer with one tap or one word.
- Use the child's name. A parent with two children at your centre needs to know which one you mean.
- Offer two times rather than asking when they're available. Two choices get a reply, while an open question gets "let me check".
- Put the fee amount and the due date in the same message, so nobody has to ask.
- Send class changes as early as you can, and say why in one line.
- Keep homework and notes in the class chat or a link, not in long messages.
- Keep routine messages to working hours.
One enquiry, start to finish
Made-up example: a primary maths centre in Bukit Timah gets a parent's enquiry after it has closed.
The coordinator sees it the next day and sends message 1, then message 2 with two trial slots.
The parent picks 10am, so message 3 confirms it, with the address and the teacher's name, and message 4 follows the day before.
After the class, message 5 mentions one thing the teacher noticed and offers a place in the class, which the parent takes.
Message 6 confirms the enrolment, and message 10 follows with next term's fees.
The one thing that could have lost this family was the wait. Many parents ask three centres and book the first one that answers.
Before you send one that sells
WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy says you may only message people who gave you their number and opted in, and that you must stop when anyone asks. It also says not to ask for "personal ID card numbers" in a chat, so take a child's or parent's NRIC details on your enrolment form, not on WhatsApp.
Singapore's Do Not Call rules add a step for promotions, like a holiday camp offer to past families. Before a message that promotes something reaches a Singapore number, you need either a recent check against the Do Not Call Register or the parent's clear consent on record. A reply to a parent who asked about classes isn't a promotion. The WhatsApp Business guide sets out both sets of rules.
When the enquiries come in after class
Templates make the catch-up quicker, but the parent who wrote has still waited.
Palby AI Agent, which we make, answers those enquiries on your centre's own WhatsApp number, books a first class from your booking page, and hands the parents ready to enrol to your team. Quiet hours run from 11pm to 9am unless you change them, and it checks in once with a parent who goes quiet. It links your number as a device through Green API rather than the Business API, so it doesn't send Meta's templates. The tuition centres page shows how a centre uses it.
30 minutes. You choose the day and the time.
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Questions about WhatsApp templates for education
Thank the parent, then ask the two things you need: the child's level and which days suit them. Offer a trial slot in the next message, with two times to choose from.
Yes, to parents whose children attend. Sent from your own number, they're ordinary messages, while on the Business API they're utility templates that Meta has to approve before you send them.
Utility, as long as it's only about fees the parent already owes. Meta's categorisation guide puts payment reminders for a service the customer has under utility. Add an offer for next term and it becomes marketing.
No. WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy says not to ask for personal ID card numbers or other sensitive identifiers in a chat. Collect them on your enrolment form instead.
Once, a few days later, with an easy way to say no, like message 15. If they don't answer that, leave it until just before the next term.