Cheshta TaterCo-founder, Rightantra Being a high school-CBSE student in Mumbai is not easy. Getting a good and affordable tutor is just impossible. I believe finding a good tutor is an issue for many, regardless of the educational board that prescribes their syllabus. At one point, life revolves around tuition timings and homework. Indian entrepreneurs observed this and created a multi-billion marketplace we didn’t even realise we needed. I’m sure you’ve read/heard about Byju’s in advertisements, news, or both. It is the world’s largest ed-tech organisation by valuation and is valued at a whopping 16.5 billion USD, i.e., 1.2 lakh crores INR (admittedly, I had to ask everyone in my team to verify the number because it was so huge that I forgot my basic math for a minute). It is also the largest unicorn in India and is aiming for an IPO in the coming year. It has already acquired other known ed-tech and educational organisations, some of which are: Edurite, Vidyartha, Osmo, TutorVista, WhiteHat Jr., LabInApp, and Aakash Educational Services. It has more than 80 million students enrolled and has no intention of stopping its growth anytime soon. I could go on and on about the fast-paced acquisition Byju’s engages in but this article is not about Byju’s. It is about the impact of ed-tech on children, especially if the same is monopolised. It is not very different from my 12th standard CBSE tuitions in Mumbai—not much choice while choosing a tutor.
Study From Home Needless to mention, the pandemic has shifted all activities to home and education seems to be the last thing to go back to normal. However, ed-tech is not a child of the pandemic—it not only existed but was also profitable even before we were confined to our homes. But why were people already opting for study-at-home when they could have learnt physically?
Keeping Up with the Kurriculum The education policies and grading systems in India change with every new government. The latest of it all (as of July 2021) is the National Education Policy, 2020. If you wish to know more about it, read our articles here and here. Having rolled out only a few months after the outbreak of COVID-19, the NEP will see its implementation in a digital space, creating more opportunities for ed-tech platforms. WhiteHat Jr. was a pioneer in teaching coding to children and now coding could be a part of the curriculum at the option of the child. While for an individual school it would be difficult to cater to the broad and optional curriculum under the NEP by employing teachers of ALL optional subjects, for ed-tech platforms like Byju’s it is not only easy but also profitable. One subscription can cater to tutoring for academic and vocational subjects as well as help prep for entrances at the end of high school. The NEP also promotes investment in technology for teaching in the form of digital repositories, laboratories, assessment portals, content, and other tools. Seemingly, ed-tech is not leaving our lives anytime soon. It is here to stay with all its advantages and disadvantages. Drawbacks of Ed-Tech Screen-time may now be used to study instead of watching series or playing games but it is screen-time nonetheless. Having to attend school, tuitions, coaching, and other classes through the screen surely does do its damage on our bodies—weakened eyes due to exposure to blue light, early onset of spondylitis, increased risk of obesity due to reduced physical activity, depression, insomnia, and anxiety, to name a few consequences. Call me old-fashioned but there is a certain level of fun in going for tuition classes everyday, meeting friends to break the monotony (especially in 10th and 12th when all people expect you to do is study), and getting some fresh air and a small walk. Sure, we may have loitered around after the tuitions but social relations, especially prosocial behaviour, can really help improve academic performance and overall mental health. We need to learn how to balance our digital lives with our health. But other problems would continue to loom over customers of ed-tech platforms, especially if a monopoly is created. Is Monopoly a Game for Children? Monopoly is my favourite board game but in no event must we play with the lives of children and their education. The biggest threat any monopoly presents is exorbitant prices for low-quality products and services. It is fair to assume that the same would be the case if a monopoly is created in the ed-tech space. I could delve into the competition law aspects of it but that warrants a separate article (drop a comment if you'd like to read it). The fact of the matter is that not all children in India can afford high-priced tuitions, especially the ones which are internet enabled. Many children consider these ed-tech platforms to be their primary source of information even though they do go to school. Any decline in the quality of education provided by ed-tech platforms could result in a negative impact upon children. If a monopoly is created, children would have no choice but to stick to the sub-par quality content if they are unable to find affordable tuition classes in their locality. It is also possible that being enrolled for Byju's becomes a status symbol, resulting in peer pressure to join the same despite the economic conditions of the child's family. This will also have an adverse impact on local tutors and their finances. Any nation-wide successful business kills the business of small and local persons providing similar services. Byju’s is doing no different but the question is with respect to its longevity. Would Byju’s continue to grow even after the Bull-run and the pandemic? At the end of the day, the ed-tech platform does not create a personalised connection with students and neither does it give feedback to parents beyond grades. Yes, Byju’s is acquiring other start-ups left, right and centre, with the US-based Epic being the latest, but there is a lot to think with respect to the potential monopolisation of the ed-tech space in India (and even the world because that's what Byju's is aiming for—for every person in the industry to work for them, directly or indirectly). We would love to hear your perspective and have attached some articles we read so your reading continues! References:
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