One of the co-founders of CuriousJr, Mridul Ranjan Sahu studied at IIT BHU, and worked at OYO, Circle (acquired by ShareChat), is an educational enthusiast. Before starting CuriousJr, he spent 4 years at OYO, where he learned about operations, supply, business, and product. At Circle, he also led the content and community for vernacular users. At CuriousJr, he is responsible for growth, business, community, and people operations.
India’s educational environment has changed dramatically during the previous decade due to technology advancements. Previous EdTech efforts to provide students with an engaging and immersive learning experience through digital platforms have been pushed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Quality education has traditionally been lacking in rural areas of the country due to a lack of infrastructure, such as electricity and internet access, but this is changing.
Edtech platforms are gradually but surely making their way into rural India, opening up new possibilities. The adoption of EdTech in rural India was greatly encouraged by collaboration with government and non-government organisations and institutes. In both rural and undeveloped urban areas, EdTech companies are establishing efforts geared towards catering to the less fortunate portions of the student population, particularly those enrolled in government and affordable private schools. Some EdTech companies, for example, are banking heavily on conversational AI bots to bridge the gap between human and computer language, allowing students, teachers, and parents to communicate more easily and seamlessly.
Few ways to encourage and employ Edtech in rural India
Partnerships between the public and private sectors
This is one of the most efficient ways to provide high-quality content to remote students in the form of classes, study materials, and assessments. Government school networks and Edtech businesses working together can do miracles if they have a long-term vision and plan. Edtech businesses can provide all of the lectures and study materials, while the government should focus on building the essential infrastructure. Teachers in these rural schools can also be taught to function as facilitators. It would also ensure that rural students receive the same quality of teachers as urban students and that rural students are provided with an equal playing field in terms of educational quality.
Use the power of television and radio to your advantage
These could be extremely effective instruments for transforming education in remote and underprivileged areas. Various free digital e-learning platforms have been previously created by the Indian government. Many stations are dedicated to telecasting high school, higher education, and vocational training courses. However, we must first assess the situation in these remote locations, comprehend their current level of knowledge, and then build content and educational videos for them in accordance with that understanding. Simultaneously, some radio and television programmes for parents should be broadcast so that they may comprehend the importance of education and, as a result, encourage and urge their children to study. So anything done in isolation will not assist; what needs to be aired, how and when it should be done, all of these decisions should be made with rural India in mind.
Use of vernacular languages
There are several possibilities because the kids will be able to comprehend what is being taught. Once they grasp the material, they will begin to enjoy the lessons, resulting in fewer dropouts and class repetitions. We can all agree that if something is taught in a language we are familiar with, we will be able to understand it more clearly and comfortably. As a result, edtech companies can play a critical role in this.
As aforementioned, Ed-Tech platforms are gradually but steadily entering rural India. Users in rural areas can work to solve problems and seize new opportunities. Technology allows students’ learning to be tailored to their own needs. EdTech apps can track students’ progress and behaviour throughout the course and deliver personalised feedback in real time. Educators can use these platforms to save time while assessing their students based on the comments they receive. EdTech apps can play a crucial role in areas where teacher-to-student ratios are unbalanced, and EdTech can provide these youngsters with access to a variety of job options in various fields, as well as boost their confidence.