User interfaces seem bad enough that I think it might be better to design the API primarily and even only the API; you can then just use that. If it is simple enough, it can be used from command-line interfaces, and others, easily enough if a protocol is designed well enough to support such multiple uses in a simple way. (It can even make the form automatically too, with the user's display settings rather than using the form author's CSS or whatever.)
However, they also should not require schools to use such a app, especially to require one of their locked systems only. You can do education without it, too. That doesn't mean such a system is useless (you can use it if you find it useful), only that it is possible to work without it, too. They didn't used to have such a app in the school and shouldn't require it now either; it can be voluntary.