Why India Needs Edtech Like Never Before?

From learning on chalkboards and from textbooks, switching to floppy drives and CDs on standalone computers followed by internet-run computers, smart boards and to now staying connected with teachers and academicians through mobile apps, the change in the way education is imparted and consumed today in India is nothing short of a revolution.

Until a few years back, India was facing two major barriers in the path of proliferation of education. There was a dire need for quality physical infrastructure whether as schools, colleges or educational institutions as well as a rampant requirement of skilled resources in the form of teachers & educators. Many new-age companies started creating innovative tech-based learning solutions focusing primarily on K-12 and higher education segments. It was then followed by an introduction of social learning and online test preparation platforms that eventually started generating revenues. This changed the approach of the parent, teacher, and student fraternity of urban and semi-urban India towards the online academic world.

However, considering the highly competitive era we live in, every student is aiming to fare well in academics for a bright future. As the existing education system is not yet relevant and updated, parents and students started seeking after-school tutoring or supplemental educational services to get that extra edge and achieve the best possible results. But as noticed, every student comes with different learning abilities and grasping power. This was when private home tuitions came into consideration. If we consider the scenario almost a decade back, finding a personal tutor who could identify a child’s loose points in any subject and modify the teaching pattern accordingly, was a herculean task for any parent. Some had to end up paying heftily for home tutoring, while others had to compromise on quality education. A market that operates more on word of mouth, discovery and seamless access to quality home tutors was very difficult for students and parents.

Witnessing this mismatch in demand and supply of qualified tutors, a few startups decided to alter the scenario by leveraging technology in creating innovative platforms to bridge the gap between parents, students, and tutors. Right from finding a tutor, to opting for his/her services, keeping course content engaging and monitoring performance, they offer all the services needed to make tutoring hassle-free.

Technology also enables these edu-tech enterprises to make the process of benchmarking, comparing and tracking the progress of a student possible in real time, which otherwise was imaginable only after the announcement of exam results. With the help of such education service providers, students, as well as the tutors, can now take tests and compare the former's progress. Such smart platforms are emphasizing on bridging the existing discovery, connection and delivery gap in the K-12 education system followed by the last mile delivery of classes as well as tech-enabled learning through digital content. Not only are they giving parents and students the advantage of finding the best-suited home tutors in their vicinity, the innovative edutech enterprises are also connecting them to their doorstep. Tutors are grabbing this opportunity to connect with prospective students in their neighbourhood that can eventually facilitate in scaling up their tutoring ventures.

Technology is ensuring a blended and personalised teaching environment that is more dynamic in nature than any one can imagine. Along with the idea of upliftment of the students, tutors are also leveraging this opportunity to equip themselves with new skills to deliver engaging, relevant &more comprehensive lectures as well as to create a bigger student base. Finally, the parents are also breathing a sigh of relief as tech-enabled platforms are bringing verified & right tutors are at their doorstep, which makes monitoring and supervising of both the child and the tutor easier. With so many advantages, technology is certainly ushering a power-packed revolution in the Indian education ecosystem by countering the numerous limitations of traditional teaching methods.