Saudi engineer Khaled Al-Zahrani has invented an electronic paging device that will not only record students’ attendance in school, but also ensure their safety.

“The invention will do away with the system of paging students on the microphone. This device is more safe because only when a parent confirms that he/she is at the gate, will the student be allowed to leave the institution,” he said.

Al-Zahrani was recently honored by Crown Prince Muqrin, deputy premier, during the opening ceremony of “Forum and Exhibition of University Invents,” organized by King Saud University recently. “The crown prince’s good gesture is a huge medal which will encourage me to serve my country and society further,” he said.

“A student’s attendance is registered at the entrance and exit control unit installed at the gates. The central server updates the data recording the time and date,” he said.

Al-Zahrani said that when the classes end, parents or people on their behalf presses the button to page the student. “The reception unit installed in the facility sends the request to the central server, which in turn updates the data and sends the information to the student in the classroom notifying him, audibly and visually, that his parents are waiting outside,” he explained.

All the information is updated in the central server, registering the time and date of entry and exit for each student, he said, noting that the system will not allow students who haven’t been paged to leave the educational premises.

The invention is protected by the patent system. It has been tested for a year at an educational institution and a number of other institutions have already started implementing the same.