The last two years have been immensely successful for ed-tech platforms with much of the world switching to online education. And nowhere else has ed-tech seen growth as significant as in India, with much potential in rural areas. The Indian government did well to set up internet connections in many rural areas to support education even during the lockdown. In rural locations, the actual use of e-learning has had a genuine advanced learning influence on their educational system.
Historically, India has had a lousy track record in terms of school enrolment and literacy rates in rural areas. Many people in remote areas don’t have the money to send their kids to school. In such families, the parents usually make their kids work instead of sending them to schools to get an education. Or in other cases, only boys are allowed to get an education who may or may not take it seriously.
The advent of online education and ed-tech has turned things around education has become much more affordable and accessible. According to industry sources, schooling from grades 1 to 12 has expanded almost 6.3 times from 2019 to 2022. The government has played a huge role in this growth by supporting the initiatives of ed-tech companies to make education accessible to everyone, everywhere. Government initiatives like Swayam, Diksha and its e-pathshala initiative have encouraged schools in remote areas to use online teaching methods to ensure that academic learning continues regardless of the environment.
The Kerala government runs Victers, an educational TV station. The channel educated more than 50 lakh children in more than 15,000 schools during the lockdown. They posted these videos on YouTube garnering over 17 crore subscribers.
Rural India happens to comprise a majority of the Indian population and there aren’t enough schools in rural areas to accommodate the growing student population. Moreover, the infrastructure in our schools is poor, and the gap between the rural and urban areas is wide. The vast majority of the problems that Indian rural schools experience may be resolved by using edtech. The Indian government has recognized the significance of these platforms and budgeted $8.56 billion for the Department of School Education, which will be used to install cutting-edge technology in public schools.
Recent research suggests that the EdTech sector is expected to grow by $30 billion over the next ten years as a result of rising user numbers. This growth will be attributed to more and more rural children gaining access to quality education owing to ed-tech services.
A standardized curriculum can be created and executed in public schools by collaborating with EdTech platforms. EdTech can enhance the traditional educational methodology used in schools. Children who may not otherwise have access to numerous businesses and services in cities may gain fresh experiences from it.
EdTech platforms are steadily gaining ground in rural India and opening up new possibilities. The necessity for a traditional classroom has become obsolete as a result of EdTech learning. Students may now study at their leisure and in the comfort of their homes while still providing for their families throughout the day.
Work is Worship 