Passing on a text message

Pupils could get their exam results via a mobile phone text message, it is revealed today.

The idea is being considered by the Government's "e-Envoy" and details emerged shortly after parents learned they could receive letters from school by email if they wished.

However, exam board Edexcel said it would be up to schools to decide to offer the service since it cannot collect mobile telephone numbers from the four million students taking exams each year.

In future people could also use the service to check on benefits claims, according to Computing magazine. A charge would be made for the service, and added to the phone owner's monthly bill.

Pay-as-you-go mobiles are unable to receive these texts, so many children would have to find their results in the traditional way - on the school noticeboard.

An Edexcel spokesman said: "We already electronically transfer exam results to the school the day before and they could text on to students if they wanted - as long as the results were issued on the right day and not before."