The education industry suffered the hardest hit during the COVID pandemic. However, during these tough times, we saw exponential growth in the education-technology industry, and distance learning, which was previously out of reach in many parts of India, became easier and is now seen as a great option. Is. Regular classroom education. To assess the sustainability and effectiveness of the edtech industry, we must first look at the drivers of its growth.
Online education is far more affordable and accessible than traditional education. Gone are the days when personal presence or presence was required. According to industry reports, there has been an increase of nearly 6.3 times in education from grades 1 to 12 in 2022 as compared to 2019. Due to its affordability, flexibility and easy accessibility, children from different economic and social backgrounds can access quality education through online education. Forum. In addition, the Indian government has played a big role in encouraging initiatives by edtech companies, which have helped us make education accessible to anyone, anywhere. Some of the initiatives taken by the government are SWAYAMvar (the study of active learning for young aspiring minds), DIKSHA and its e-Pathshala initiative. These initiatives have encouraged educational institutions in rural areas to switch to online methods of teaching, and have helped ensure continuity of academic learning, regardless of circumstances.
A recent report states that over the next 10 years, the edtech industry is poised to expand to $30 billion and the growing demand seen by the sector is expected to coincide with the normalization of COVID as well as the need for distance learning by parents and students. Due to acceptance. Until recently, most of the students in rural India were unable to get basic education due to lack of infrastructure. Even when they wanted to go to school and learn, they were unable due to factors like no school available in proper proximity of their residence. EdTech platforms are slowly but steadily entering rural India and creating new opportunities. Through the proliferation of edtech learning, the need for a traditional classroom has become a thing of the past. Students can now learn from the comfort of their homes, and study at their own convenience, while supporting their families as needed during the day. It’s easy for students to sign up for classes via smartphones, which are now widely owned. Payment for these courses or classes can be done online via credit card or UPI, and those who cannot afford the classes can sign up for free courses through various social initiatives run by Byju’s, Coursera and others. can do. Lastly, many of these courses are available online in local languages, helping to bridge a language barrier in alignment with the National Education Policy 2020.
The technology also helps to personalize the learning experience according to the needs of the student, and edtech applications can track student performance and behavior to come up with courses tailored to the individual. It also reduces the burden on teachers to design specific study plans, as edtech tools also assess and assist students with individualized lesson programmes.
There are three major contributors. If they work together as a team, they can help solve the problem of access and adoption of technology in rural areas. These are samaj (society), sarkar (government) and bazaar (market). The role of government, corporate houses and society is important, and they need to work together to focus on access, adoption and reconciliation.
There are many ways to encourage and employ edtech in rural India. Public and private sector partnerships are one of the most efficient ways and have proven to be helpful in providing quality content to people through distance classes. If government schools and edtech businesses work together, they can help provide both lectures and study materials and build the necessary infrastructure for an online school. Teachers in rural schools can also be facilitators who ensure that students in rural India receive the same quality of teaching. This, in turn, will provide them an equal opportunity in terms of education and its quality. Another effective approach is to harness the power of television and radio in the market and spread awareness about the flexibility, affordability and accessibility of digital learning in remote parts of the country. Finally, the use of local languages to teach students in rural areas can help ensure that they understand what is being taught. This will result in less drop-outs and classroom repetition.
With Ed-Tech, any child can study anytime and anywhere without local, financial or work-related constraints. EdTech apps can play a vital role in areas where the teacher-to-student ratio is imbalanced, and can give these youth access to different job options in different sectors, even as it boosts their confidence. Increases. From a child sitting in a remote corner of Northeast India to a farmer forced to stay at home in Jammu to another child helping parents in farming in Bihar to travel long distances to go to school in Uttarakhand No one should be forced. Lose the necessary schooling from now on.
Digital education has brought hope to millions of children who are not going to school or getting proper education. It will connect ‘India’ with India as the power of e-learning works in favor of our people.
Kirit Solanki is a member of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on SC/ST Welfare.
catch all business News, market news, today’s fresh news events and breaking news Updates on Live Mint. download mint news app To get daily market updates.