Learning is set to become personalised on the dimension of speed of understanding, interest in different subjects and language of instruction, says SUMEET MEHTA
What is the future of edtech sector in India?
There are certain truths that won’t likely change for the next 10-20 years. Core education will continue to be offered in schools but schools will look and act very different. There will be far greater permeation of systems and technology to make schools run effectively. Till about 12 years of age, mediated learning (learning assisted by a trusted adult) will continue thus teachers will continue to play an important role till high school but they will need to be enabled by technology. Going forward, learning will become more and more personalised. This personalisation will happen on the dimension of speed of understanding, interest in different subjects and language of instruction.
How do you see the new academic year for students?
The new academic year will signal return to normalcy in terms of timelines. Schools in North and CBSE schools can go back to beginning their academic year in April 2021 whereas schools in West and South can start academic year in June. But when schools re-open, there might be still some parents who are hesitant to send their children to school. Schools should implement hybrid systems that enable both in-school and at-home learning, both in-class and online learning.
What is something that schools should do/ can be done when schools reopen post covid?
Before opening, there has to be a massive confidence building and awareness building drive among parents and the wider community. Schools should put in place measures for student safety, student well-being and hybrid learning. These should be communicated to parents via a dialogue. Parents should be given a choice and those who choose to keep their students at home, should have an option for at-home learning while understanding the limitations of this choice.
What can be done to curb the anxieties of the parents of class 10th students who will be writing their board exams?
The way our education system is currently structured, Class X still plays a disproportionate role on a child’s future. Thus it is necessary that over the next three months schools and parents enable children to focus, practice and enable closer teacher assistance where there are gaps
What does the future look like with regard to NEP?
It is very important that we revive the development and growth agenda in education as soon as possible. India has to not only bring back all the students who have suffered massive learning losses in 2020, it also has to ensure it stays focused on improving the quality of learning outcomes in its schools. It will be easy to get busy with survival but true leadership would be to aim high, and bring back students to a new, better normal and not regress to 5 year old levels of poor access and poor outcomes.
What were some of the edtech trends observed in 2020?
Schools woke up to the reality that they are sitting ducks to any disruptive, unforeseen situation because they have been stuck with an age-old technology - paper. Parents woke up to realise that they had been paying for day-care when they thought they were paying for education. Online supplemental has rushed in to fill the value gap. Tuitions were always prevalent in India from the neighbourhood tutor. Online learning as replacements for tuitions, as replacements for physical or centre-based test prep has taken off like a rocket.