Privacy Policy

CBC Pretechnical Studies is an educational mobile application developed to support Kenya's Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) for Pre-Technical Studies. The app serves students in Grades 7, 8, and 9 with lessons, practice tests, video content, audio discussions, flashcards, and AI-assisted learning tools.

By using CBC Pretechnical Studies, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you are a parent or guardian enrolling a child under 18, please read this policy carefully before allowing use of the app.

We collect only the information necessary to deliver a great learning experience. Here's a clear breakdown:

Information you provide directly:

• Full name and email address (for account creation)
• Grade level (7, 8, or 9) and optionally your school name
• Profile photo (optional, uploaded by you)
• Messages sent to our AI Tutor and Q&A Zone posts
• Test answers and responses within the app

Information collected automatically:

• Learning progress: lessons completed, videos watched, test scores, streaks
• App usage patterns: which sections you visit and for how long
• Device information: Android OS version, device model (for crash diagnostics)
• Crash logs and error reports to improve stability
• Downloads and offline content preferences

Every piece of data we collect serves a specific, legitimate educational purpose. We use your information to:

• Power your learning experience — track progress, show relevant content, and personalise your dashboard
• Enable AI features — the AI Tutor uses your messages to generate contextual, grade-appropriate responses
• Generate practice questions — AI-generated quizzes are tailored to your grade and selected topics
• Send useful notifications — daily reminders, streak alerts, and new content announcements (only if you allow them)
• Maintain badges, points & gamification — to reward consistent learning and keep you motivated
• Improve the app — usage analytics and crash logs help us fix bugs and make CBC Pretechnical Studies better for everyone
• Provide customer support — when you contact us, we use your account information to resolve your issue

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share data only with trusted service providers who help operate the app, and only to the extent necessary:

• Firebase (Google) — authentication, cloud database (Firestore), file storage, and analytics. Data is stored securely in compliance with Google's data protection standards.
• AI Service Provider — AI Tutor messages are processed via a third-party AI API (such as OpenAI or a custom backend). Messages are used solely to generate a response and are not stored long-term by the AI provider.
• ExoPlayer / Media Libraries — open-source video and audio libraries used entirely on-device; no data is transmitted.

We may disclose information if required by Kenyan law or a valid court order. In such cases, we will notify you unless legally prohibited from doing so.

CBC Pretechnical Studies is designed for students in Grades 7–9, most of whom are between 12 and 15 years old. We take our responsibility toward young users very seriously.

• We collect only the minimum data required to deliver the educational service.
• We do not knowingly allow children under 12 to create accounts without parental consent.
• Parents and guardians may contact us at any time to review, update, or delete their child's account and associated data.
• The AI Tutor is designed to respond only to academic and curriculum-related queries.
• Community Q&A posts are monitored to prevent inappropriate content.
• We do not serve targeted advertising to any users, especially minors.

We implement industry-standard technical and organisational measures to protect your data against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse:

• HTTPS encryption on all data transmitted between the app and our servers
• Firebase Authentication with secure, hashed password storage — we never store passwords in plain text
• Firestore security rules ensuring users can only access their own data
• API key obfuscation — sensitive keys are not embedded in the public app binary
• Room database encryption for any sensitive data stored offline on your device
• Regular code reviews and dependency updates to patch known vulnerabilities

While we work hard to protect your information, no method of internet transmission is 100% secure. We encourage users to choose strong passwords and not share account credentials with others.

You have meaningful control over your personal data. Here's what you can do:

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at alevels254@gmail.com. We will respond within 14 business days.

As a native Android app, CBC Pretechnical Studies does not use browser cookies. However, we do use the following on-device storage mechanisms:

• SharedPreferences — stores user settings such as selected grade level, theme preferences, and notification toggles
• Room Database (SQLite) — stores downloaded content, cached questions, and offline lesson data locally on your device
• Firebase local cache — temporarily stores Firestore data for offline access and faster load times
• Media cache — downloaded audio and video files stored locally when you choose to download for offline use

You can clear all locally stored app data at any time via your Android device settings under Apps → CBC Pretechnical Studies → Clear Data. Note that this will log you out and remove offline content.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the app, our practices, or applicable law. When we make significant changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Send a push notification to all app users alerting them to the change
• Display an in-app banner prompting you to review the updated policy
• For material changes affecting children's data, notify parents/guardians directly by email

Your continued use of CBC Pretechnical Studies after the effective date of a revised policy constitutes your acceptance of the changes. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data? We'd love to hear from you — our team is genuinely committed to your privacy.

When contacting us, please include your registered email address and a brief description of your request so we can assist you as efficiently as possible.