Chapter 4: User Roles & Permissions

This chapter explains how to manage user roles and permissions in the School Management System.

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4.1 Understanding User Roles

Role Overview

The system supports 7 default user roles:

Role	Description	Typical Users
------	-------------	----------------
Administrator	Full system access	School admin, Principal
Teacher	Teaching responsibilities	Teachers, Tutors
Accountant	Financial management	Finance staff
Librarian	Library operations	Library staff
Driver	Transport management	Transport staff
Parent	Guardian access	Parents/Guardians
Student	Limited self-service	Enrolled students

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4.2 Accessing Role Management

Navigation

• Log in as Administrator

Go to Settings → Roles

Alternatively: Navigate to [your-domain]/roles

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4.3 Viewing Roles

Role List Page

The roles page displays:

• Role name

• Number of users in each role

• Status (active/inactive)

Action buttons (Edit, Delete)

#### Default Roles (Cannot be Deleted)

• Administrator

• Teacher

• Accountant

• Librarian

• Driver

• Parent

Student

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4.4 Understanding Permissions

Permission Categories

Permissions are organized by module:

Module	Permissions
--------	-------------
Students	view, create, edit, delete, import, export
Employees	view, create, edit, delete
Fees	view, create, edit, delete, collect, reports
Exams	view, create, edit, delete, marks entry
Attendance	view, create, edit, reports
Library	view, create, edit, delete, issue, return
Accounts	view, create, edit, delete, reports
Settings	view, edit

Permission Matrix

Permission	Description
------------	-------------
View	Access and view records
Create	Add new records
Edit	Modify existing records
Delete	Remove records
Import	Bulk import data
Export	Export data to files
Reports	View and generate reports

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4.5 Editing a Role

Step-by-Step Guide

#### Step 1: Select Role to Edit

Navigate to Settings → Roles

• Find the role you want to modify

Click the Edit button

#### Step 2: Modify Role Details

Field	Description
-------	-------------
Role Name	Name of the role (cannot be changed for default roles)
Description	Brief description of role
Status	Active or Inactive

#### Step 3: Configure Permissions

To enable a permission:

• Find the module in the permissions list

• Toggle the switch to enable

Or check the checkbox

Permission categories by role:

Administrators - All permissions enabled Teachers - Teaching-related permissions Accountants - Finance and fee permissions Librarians - Library permissions Drivers - Transport permissions Parents - Limited view permissions Students - Minimal self-service permissions

#### Step 4: Save Changes

• Review all enabled permissions

Click Save Changes

Confirmation message will appear

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4.6 Creating a Custom Role

When to Create Custom Roles

Create custom roles when you need:

• Limited admin access (e.g., fee admin)

• Specialized staff roles

Temporary access for contractors

Step-by-Step Guide

#### Step 1: Create New Role

Go to Settings → Roles

Click Add New Role button

#### Step 2: Fill Role Details

Field	Description	Example
-------	-------------	---------
Role Name	Unique name	Fee Manager
Description	Role description	Manages all fee operations
Status	Active/Inactive	Active

#### Step 3: Assign Permissions

• Select permissions from the list

• Enable only necessary permissions

Avoid giving unnecessary access

#### Step 4: Save Role

Click Save

The new role will appear in the roles list

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4.7 Managing Users by Role

Viewing Users in a Role

#### Step 1: View Role Users

Go to Settings → Roles

• Click on a role name

View list of users with this role

Role-Based User Counts

Role	Typical Users
------	---------------
Administrator	2-5 users
Teacher	20-100+ users
Accountant	2-5 users
Librarian	1-3 users
Driver	5-20 users
Parent	Equal to student count
Student	Total enrolled students

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4.8 Assigning Roles to Users

Method 1: When Creating Users

When adding a new user (student, employee), you can assign a role:

• Fill in user details

• Select role from dropdown

Complete user creation

Method 2: Editing Existing Users

• Go to user list (Students, Employees, etc.)

• Find the user

• Edit user details

Change role assignment

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4.9 Role Best Practices

Security Recommendations

Principle of Least Privilege

- Only give minimum required permissions - Review permissions regularly

Separate Duties

- Don't give one person all permissions - Distribute responsibilities

Regular Audits

- Review role assignments quarterly - Remove unnecessary access

Documentation

- Document why each role has specific permissions - Keep records of permission changes

Role Assignment Examples

User	Role	Permissions
------	------	-------------
Principal	Administrator	Full access
Head Teacher	Teacher	Teaching + Reports
Class Teacher	Teacher	Class-specific access
Fee Collector	Accountant	Fees + Reports
Receptionist	Custom	Limited student view
Bus Driver	Driver	Transport only

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4.10 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Problem: Can't access certain features

• Check if your role has the required permission

Contact administrator to request access

Problem: Can't edit a user

• Verify you have edit permission

Check if user has higher role (admin)

Problem: Deleted role still shows

Clear cache: php artisan cache:clear

Check if any users still assigned to role

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4.11 Quick Reference

Permission Access Matrix

Feature	Admin	Teacher	Accountant	Parent
---------	-------	---------	------------	--------
Student Management	✓	Limited	✓	Own child
Fee Collection	✓	✗	✓	✗
Marks Entry	✓	✓	✗	View
Payroll	✓	✗	✓	✗
Reports	✓	Limited	✓	Limited
Settings	✓	✗	✗	✗

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Next Steps

Chapter 5: Authentication and login management

Chapter 7: Creating classes and sections

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