School Management System

A comprehensive, secure, real-time, role-based School Management System built with modern web technologies.

🚀 Features

Role-Based Access Control

• Students: View attendance, fees, e-content, timetable, apply for leave, receive notifications
• Teachers: Manage classes, take attendance, upload content, post notices
• Principals: View school-wide reports, approve policies, monitor activities
• Admins: Full CRUD operations, user management, system configuration
• Non-teaching Staff: Specialized modules for transport, library, sports, finance

Core Functionality

• Real-time Notifications: Socket.IO powered instant notifications
• Email Alerts: Automated email notifications using Nodemailer
• File Management: Secure file upload and management
• Attendance Tracking: Comprehensive attendance management
• Content Management: E-learning content upload and streaming
• Leave Management: Digital leave application and approval system
• Fee Management: Track and manage student fees
• Timetable Management: Dynamic class scheduling

🛠 Tech Stack

Backend

• Node.js (LTS) + Express.js
• MongoDB (Atlas) + Mongoose ODM
• Socket.IO for real-time communication
• JWT for authentication with refresh tokens
• bcryptjs for password hashing
• Nodemailer for email services
• Multer for file uploads
• Express Rate Limit for API protection

Frontend

• React 18 with Vite
• React Router for navigation
• Tailwind CSS for styling
• React Query for state management
• React Hook Form for form handling
• Socket.IO Client for real-time features
• Axios for API calls

Security Features

• JWT access & refresh tokens
• Role-based middleware
• Input validation & sanitization
• Rate limiting
• Helmet.js security headers
• File upload restrictions
• CORS configuration

📦 Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18 or higher)
• MongoDB (local or Atlas)
• Git

Clone Repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd school-management-system

Backend Setup

cd backend
npm install

# Configure environment variables
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your configuration

# Start development server
npm run dev

Frontend Setup

cd frontend
npm install

# Configure environment variables
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your API URL

# Start development server
npm run dev

Root Level (Optional)

# Install concurrently for running both servers
npm install

# Run both backend and frontend
npm run dev

🔧 Configuration

Backend Environment Variables (.env)

NODE_ENV=development
PORT=5000
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/school_management
JWT_SECRET=your_super_secret_jwt_key_here
JWT_REFRESH_SECRET=your_refresh_token_secret_here
JWT_EXPIRE=15m
JWT_REFRESH_EXPIRE=7d

# Email Configuration
SMTP_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
SMTP_PORT=587
SMTP_USER=your_email@gmail.com
SMTP_PASS=your_app_password
FROM_EMAIL=noreply@schoolmanagement.com
FROM_NAME=School Management System

# File Upload
MAX_FILE_SIZE=10485760
UPLOAD_PATH=./uploads

Frontend Environment Variables (.env)

VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:5000/api

🚀 Deployment

Backend Deployment (Render/Railway/Heroku)

1. Create new web service
2. Connect your repository
3. Set environment variables
4. Deploy

Frontend Deployment (Vercel/Netlify)

1. Connect your repository
2. Set build command: npm run build
3. Set publish directory: dist
4. Set environment variables
5. Deploy

Database (MongoDB Atlas)

1. Create MongoDB Atlas cluster
2. Configure network access
3. Create database user
4. Get connection string

📱 Usage

Default Login Credentials

Admin: admin@school.com / password123
Teacher: teacher@school.com / password123
Student: student@school.com / password123

API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/login - User login
• POST /api/auth/register - User registration
• POST /api/auth/refresh - Refresh token
• GET /api/auth/profile - Get user profile

Students

• GET /api/students/dashboard - Student dashboard
• GET /api/students/attendance - Attendance records
• GET /api/students/content - Learning content
• POST /api/students/leave - Apply for leave

Teachers

• GET /api/teachers/dashboard - Teacher dashboard
• GET /api/teachers/students - Assigned students
• POST /api/teachers/attendance - Mark attendance
• POST /api/teachers/content - Upload content

Admin

• GET /api/admin/dashboard - Admin dashboard
• GET /api/admin/users - User management
• POST /api/admin/users - Create user
• GET /api/admin/classes - Class management

🔒 Security Features

• Authentication: JWT with refresh tokens
• Authorization: Role-based access control
• Input Validation: Express-validator
• Rate Limiting: Prevent API abuse
• File Upload Security: Type and size restrictions
• Password Hashing: bcryptjs with salt rounds
• CORS: Configured for specific origins
• Security Headers: Helmet.js implementation

📊 Real-time Features

• Live Notifications: Instant alerts for all users
• Socket Authentication: Secure WebSocket connections
• Room-based Communication: Class and role-specific channels
• Real-time Updates: Live data synchronization

🧪 Testing

Backend Testing

cd backend
npm test

Frontend Testing

cd frontend
npm test

📈 Performance Optimization

• Database Indexing: Optimized MongoDB queries
• Caching: Redis integration (optional)
• Compression: Gzip compression enabled
• Image Optimization: File size limits and validation
• Code Splitting: React lazy loading
• Bundle Optimization: Vite build optimization

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit changes (git commit -m 'Add AmazingFeature')
4. Push to branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open Pull Request

🆘 Support

For support, email gauravraaz2005@gmail.com or create an issue in the repository.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• React team for the amazing framework
• MongoDB team for the database
• Socket.IO team for real-time capabilities
• Tailwind CSS team for the utility-first CSS framework
• All contributors and testers