Terms and Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using the edPLEstar platform (the "Service"), including our website at www.edplestar.com, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Service. Your continued use of the Service following any modifications to these Terms constitutes your acceptance of those modifications.

edPLEstar reserves the right to modify these Terms and Conditions at any time. We will notify users of any material changes via email or through prominent notice on the platform. Your continued use of the Service following such notice will constitute acceptance of the revised Terms.

2. Description of Service

edPLEstar is an online educational technology platform designed to support primary school students in Uganda from P.1 to P.7 with supplementary learning materials, interactive lessons, quizzes, assignments, and progress tracking. The Service is designed to support students' academic development across all primary levels in alignment with Uganda's national primary school curriculum, with a particular emphasis on preparing students for the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) and building a strong foundation throughout the primary journey.

The Service includes:

• Interactive educational content and lessons
• Practice quizzes and assessments
• Progress tracking and analytics
• Teacher and parent dashboard access
• Regular content updates aligned with curriculum standards

edPLEstar does not guarantee specific academic results or outcomes. The effectiveness of learning depends on the student's engagement, effort, and individual learning style.

3. User Accounts

3.1 Account Types

The Service offers three types of accounts:

• Student Account: For primary school students (P.1 – P.7) to access learning materials, practice quizzes, past papers, and complete assignments
• Parent Account: For parents or guardians to monitor student progress and access reports
• Teacher Account: For educators to manage classes, assign tasks, and monitor student performance

3.2 Account Registration

To create an account, you must provide accurate, complete, and truthful information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and password. You agree to notify edPLEstar immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.

3.3 Parent Consent for Minors

If you are registering a student under 18 years old, you must be a parent or legal guardian and agree to these Terms on their behalf. You are responsible for supervising the student's use of the Service.

4. Free Trial and Subscription Terms

4.1 5-Day Free Trial

edPLEstar offers a 5-day free trial period for new users. During the trial period, users have full access to the Service's features at no cost. No payment information is required to start the free trial.

The free trial is available to new users only and may be used only once per person. edPLEstar reserves the right to verify eligibility and revoke the trial if terms are violated.

4.2 Subscription Plans

After the free trial expires, continued access requires a paid subscription. edPLEstar offers the following subscription plans:

• Monthly Plan: Billed monthly, cancellable anytime
• Yearly Plan: Billed annually with a discount compared to monthly plans
• Family Plan: Covers multiple students/family members at a reduced rate per user

4.3 Automatic Renewal

Subscription plans automatically renew at the end of each billing cycle unless you cancel before the renewal date. You will receive a reminder email at least 7 days before renewal.

4.4 Subscription Changes

You may upgrade, downgrade, or change your subscription plan at any time through your account settings. Changes take effect at the start of your next billing cycle. Upgrades are prorated.

5. Payment and Refunds

5.1 Payment Processing

All payments are processed securely through our payment provider. edPLEstar accepts various payment methods as indicated on the website. By providing payment information, you authorize edPLEstar to charge your account for subscription fees and any applicable taxes.

5.2 Billing Dates

Subscriptions are billed on the same date each month (or year, depending on your plan). If your billing date falls on a date that doesn't exist in a particular month (e.g., February 30), your subscription will be billed on the last day of that month.

5.3 30-Day Refund Policy

edPLEstar offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for new subscribers. If you are not satisfied with the Service within 30 days of your first payment, you may request a full refund by contacting our support team at [email protected]. Refunds will be processed within 5-7 business days.

The 30-day refund policy applies only to the first subscription period. Subsequent renewals are not refundable but may be cancelled to prevent future charges.

5.4 Price Changes

edPLEstar reserves the right to change subscription prices with at least 30 days' written notice. You will be notified of any price changes before they take effect. If you do not accept the new pricing, you may cancel your subscription before the change takes effect.

6. Acceptable Use Policy

You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes and in a way that does not infringe upon the rights of others or restrict their use and enjoyment of the Service. Prohibited behavior includes:

• Harassing, threatening, or abusing other users
• Posting offensive, defamatory, or inappropriate content
• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to the Service or other accounts
• Using the Service to distribute malware or harmful code
• Interfering with the normal operation of the Service
• Attempting to reverse engineer or deconstruct the platform
• Sharing login credentials with unauthorized persons
• Impersonating another user or falsifying identity information
• Plagiarizing or submitting work that is not your own
• Using automated tools or bots to access the Service without permission

Violation of this Acceptable Use Policy may result in immediate suspension or termination of your account without refund.

7. Content and Intellectual Property

7.1 edPLEstar Content

All educational materials, lessons, quizzes, and other content on the edPLEstar platform ("edPLEstar Content") are the intellectual property of edPLEstar or its content providers. This content is protected by copyright and international intellectual property laws.

7.2 Limited License

By subscribing to edPLEstar, you receive a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the edPLEstar Content solely for your personal, non-commercial educational purposes. You may not:

• Reproduce, modify, or distribute the content
• Download content for offline use or sharing
• Create derivative works based on the content
• Use the content for commercial purposes
• Share your login credentials to allow others unauthorized access

7.3 User-Generated Content

Any content you create or upload to the Service (assignments, forum posts, etc.) remains your intellectual property. However, by submitting content to edPLEstar, you grant us a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, reproduce, and display this content for educational and platform improvement purposes.

8. Child Safety and COPPA Compliance

8.1 COPPA Compliance

edPLEstar complies with applicable children's privacy laws, including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and equivalent regulations in Uganda.

8.2 Children Under 13

Students under 13 years of age may use edPLEstar only with verifiable parental consent. Parents or legal guardians must:

• Create the account on behalf of the child
• Agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy
• Maintain responsibility for the child's use of the Service
• Review the privacy practices outlined in our Privacy Policy

8.3 Parental Controls

edPLEstar provides parent dashboard features allowing guardians to:

• Monitor student progress and performance
• Review activity logs and content accessed
• Control messaging and communication features
• Set time limits and usage restrictions
• Request account deletion at any time

8.4 Safety Commitment

edPLEstar is committed to protecting child safety. Our platform includes:

• Content filtering and age-appropriate material curation
• Monitoring of user interactions for inappropriate behavior
• Immediate action against content that violates child safety policies
• Regular security audits and penetration testing
• Safe data storage with encryption

9. Data Protection

9.1 GDPR Alignment

edPLEstar collects, processes, and protects personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and equivalent data protection laws. A comprehensive Privacy Policy is available at www.edplestar.com/privacy.

9.2 Data Collection

We collect:

• Account information (name, email, age)
• Usage data (login times, content accessed, time spent)
• Performance data (quiz scores, progress, completion rates)
• Device information (IP address, browser type)

9.3 Data Security

edPLEstar implements industry-standard security measures including:

• End-to-end encryption for sensitive data
• Secure cloud storage with Supabase
• Regular security updates and patches
• Limited staff access to personal data

9.4 User Rights

Under applicable data protection laws, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data and a copy of what we hold
• Correct inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your data (right to be forgotten)
• Opt-out of certain data processing activities

10. Limitation of Liability

10.1 Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind. edPLEstar disclaims all express and implied warranties, including but not limited to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

10.2 Limitation of Damages

To the fullest extent permitted by law, edPLEstar shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from:

• Use of or inability to use the Service
• Loss of data or academic performance
• Unauthorized access to your account
• Third-party actions or content

10.3 Limitation Amount

edPLEstar's total liability for any claim shall not exceed the amount paid by you for the Service in the 12 months preceding the claim.

10.4 Academic Responsibility

Students and parents acknowledge that edPLEstar is a supplementary educational tool and does not replace formal education. Academic results depend on student effort, engagement, and individual circumstances. edPLEstar makes no guarantees regarding academic performance or exam results.

11. Termination

11.1 Termination by User

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings or by contacting [email protected]. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period. No refunds are provided for unused portions of your subscription.

11.2 Termination by edPLEstar

edPLEstar may terminate or suspend your account immediately if you:

• Violate these Terms and Conditions
• Engage in illegal activity
• Pose a threat to other users or the Service
• Harass or abuse other users or staff

11.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your access to the Service immediately ceases. edPLEstar will make reasonable efforts to return user data upon request, subject to applicable data retention laws.

12. Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Uganda, without regard to its conflict of law principles. You agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Kampala, Uganda for any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Service.

13. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms and Conditions, or wish to report violations, please contact us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.edplestar.com
• Address: P.O.Box 208130, Kampala, Uganda