Bhubaneswar, April 21: Leena, mother of a three-year-old, texts her WhatsApp group to find out what the LKG teacher has taught in class today.

"My daughter was unwell and could not go to school today. But I can always find out from other parents in our WhatsApp group," she says.

Leena is not alone when it comes to using the free mobile service WhatsApp to exchange messages, pictures and video to get the latest about what's going on in her kid's school.

Ajanta, another young parent, was worried about her son not being taken to the toilet by the school helps at regular intervals.

"We discussed the matter on our WhatsApp group and approached the authorities. They have promised to take care this time," says Ajanta.

From uniforms, books and bus services to bullying and teachers pressurising for tuitions, more and more tech-savvy young parents are spending time on social networking sites and mobile apps to keep track of their kids.

"We made a group last year and I must say it is very convenient now. I was alerted by one of the group members on Facebook about how a particular teacher was regularly targeting my son and humiliating him in front of other students," said Subhrajeet, father of a seven-year-old who studies in a premier city school.

He immediately contacted the authorities and took up the matter. "The teacher was told not to publicly humiliate him but contact me if he errs. Had I remained unaware of this information, my son would have gone through endless mental torture," says the parent.

Parents are using social media to come together on more serious issues such as unregulated fee hike, fleecing students in the name of various cultural events and teachers putting pressure on them to join their private tuitions.

"We try to help each other by asking our kids about their friends and teachers. My daughter informed me that some boys were constantly bullying a particular student. This boy had started withdrawing himself from other students. I immediately shared the matter with his father on the Facebook ," said Payodhi, a mother.

The boy had started showing symptoms of depression and things would have taken an ugly turn had there been no intervention, she says.

School authorities too are taking it the right way.

"Technology, if used the right way, can help both parents and schools. We welcome any change that gives positive results. This trend has also brought down the physical gathering of parents outside the school premises in groups, chanting slogans and squatting to get their demands heard. This is a more refined way of addressing things and would not bring any negative impact of the students and teachers," said Sumita Nanda, a senior teacher.