In its seventh decade of independence, India stands on the cusp of a significant change; a transformation that could lead to unprecedented economic growth paired with radical improvements in the nation’s education system. And, the Indian education system is currently suffering from some serious lacunae. Over the years, a fair share of the blame has been appropriated to the archaic system of the gurukuls, the colonial rule, and later on, the society’s obsession with lawyers, engineers and doctors.
Fast Forward to The Future: The Tech Edge In Education
A young India, with a humongous digitally-enabled middle class, is asking for growth and change. Without building the skills and capabilities necessary to drive innovation, the country risks stagnation. However, if India can create capabilities for growth and innovative solutions, the opportunities for success, both at home and abroad, are limitless.
The amount of technological advancement Indian education has seen in the decade is staggering. A three or four years old watches his/her favourite cartoons and nursery rhymes on the mobile phone or tablet. Videos and interactive features on smart devices have become the most popular mode of learning these days, with virtual assistants like Alexa and Google home bringing in the human interactive touch. The flexible and non-intrusive nature of this evolutionary educational format makes learning more interesting and captivating.
Not just education, today, life is technology extravaganza. Irrespective of age, people are glued to their smartphones from morning to night, gaining knowledge through social media and online platforms. From learning how to play musical instruments and how to cook to exercise and even build careers, everything has been digitalized with the Edtech Revolution in India.
Edtech Startups Are Booming, But Are They Thriving?
Evolutionary education and the boom in smartphone adoption are expected to re-define the way Indian students learn. Real-time book updates, online tutoring, live and interactive classes, online test preparation, web-based research – technology has changed the way of education in more ways than one.
“Fact: With more than 260 million enrolments, India has now become the world’s largest education system.”
Edtech Revolution in India: An Alternate Way For Traditional Education
Learning in India’s education system is often driven by the fear of exams and a one size fits all approach and is still synonymous with words such as board exams, IIT-JEE, entrance exams, marks, etc. Children are still being trained to solve algebra and trigonometry questions. Every curriculum in India is exam-driven and the alternate evaluation processes are not yet trusted and accepted by society.
Evidently, technology in India’s educational system is acting more as an alternative delivery mechanism while the process and system of education remain entirely traditional. What these Edtech startups are doing is providing a digital delivery of content in a more accessible way to factions of the society that possess the purchasing power.
Bottom Line
Edtech startups, too, should get socio-economic support they require to create the digital space for alternative learning in the Indian education market, else they will keep fighting for a share of already existing, constant market size. Only by true evolutionary education system can India become a truly Republic country. So, let’s contribute our fair share to make India the world’s greatest education platform.
More Information:
Importance of E-learning in India
New to Learning Technology? Beginner’s Guide to E-learning
How E-Learning Systems can Help Professionals in their Careers?