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Caninnovativetechnologies,strongwillpowertransformprimaryeducationsystem?:BusinessToday

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Caninnovativetechnologies,strongwillpower
transformprimaryeducationsystem?
SanjeevJhaNovember26,2014

Intermsofsustainablegrowth,akeydriverforPrimeMinisterNarendraModi's"Makein
India"campaignwouldbetheabilityofbusinessestohavetheirgoods'soldinIndia'.A
consumermarketofglobalstandardswilldemandqualitygoods,andinspireentrepreneurs
tocapitaliseon'buyerneed'drivenopportunities,andcreatewealth.WithIndia'sgrowth
storyisbecomingoneofthemostanticipated(andmuchneeded!)globaleconomic
catalysts,drivingthisgrowthanddevelopingaconsumermarketreliesfundamentallyon
havinganeducatedandskilledworkforce.
However,alargeproportionofIndia'spopulationacrosssemiurbanandruralareas
continuestohavelowpurchasingpower,andlargelycontinuestomakealivingthrough
agriculture.TheWorldBankreportsthatalmost47percentofIndia'semployedpopulationis
engagedinagriculture,andyetthesectoronlycontributestoabout14percentofthe
countryGDP.Thegapisstaggering!
Whileskilldevelopment,asdiscussedinarecentBusinessTodayarticle,remainsoneof
ourbiggestchallenges,therootofthisimbalanceliesinthelowqualityandefficacyof
primaryeducation.
DiversityofChallenges
Thepoorlearningoutcomesarearesultofawidevarietyofchallenges.Infrastructuraland
humancapitalbarriersrangingfromlowteachermotivationstolinguisticdiversitytothe
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Caninnovativetechnologies,strongwillpowertransformprimaryeducationsystem?:BusinessToday

bureaucraticadministrativesystemsareadverselyimpactingprogress.
Let'slookatsomeofthesechallengesclosely:
a.Improvingaccesstoeducation,butnotquality:TheAnnualStatusofEducation
Reportpointstopositivestatistics,includingasteadyincreaseinprivateschoolenrolment
from18.7percentin2006to29percentin2013andtheproportionofschoolscomplying
withtheRighttoEducation'spupilteacherrationormsincreasingbynearlysevenpercentin
thepastthreeyears.Butacloserlookhelpsgetadeeperunderstanding.Onlyabouthalfof
theStandardVchildrencanreadaStandardIIleveltext.Inarithmetic,asignificantshareof
thechildrenislaggingseveralyearsbehindwheretheyareexpectedtobe.Froman
economicstandpoint,thistranslatestounemployableworkforceandproductivitydeficit.
b.Probably,anoverworkedprimaryschoolteachers:Primaryschoolteachersemployed
bythegovernment,particularlyinruralIndia,arerequiredtoperformawiderangeofduties
completelyunrelatedtoimpartingeducation.Theseduties,includingadministering
governmentprogrammessuchasimmunisationclinics,assistingwithdatacollectionforthe
nationalcensus,andstaffingpollingstationsduringelections,inadditiontotheirteaching
responsibilities,placesignificantdemandsonteachers'time.
c.Bureaucraticadministrativesystemmakingimplementationdifficult:Itisdifficultto
testnewpracticesonasmallscalebeforerollingthemout.Ifanewprogrammehasbeen
developed,itbecomesevidentthateveryschoolmusthaveit.Suchindiscriminate
applicationoftenmeansthatteachersareimplementingprogrammeswithoutunderstanding
theirkeyprinciplesandultimategoals.
So,canentrepreneurshelpcreateamoreproductiveecosystem?Anotherbarrier
adverselyimpactingthequalityofprimaryeducationappearstobelowlevelsofteacher
motivation.Theusualculprit,compensation,doesnotseemtobeproblem.Thestarting
salaryrangeforagovernmentprimaryschoolteacherisbetweenRs16,000andRs22,000
permonth,dependingonthestate,withadditionalbenefitsofpublichealthcareand
retirementpensions.
Anumberofentrepreneurshavestartedrealisingtheimmensepotentialintheprimary
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Caninnovativetechnologies,strongwillpowertransformprimaryeducationsystem?:BusinessToday

educationsysteminIndiaandasaresult,wehaveafewinnovativeproductsandservices:
a.Teachersasbusinessowners:AndhraPradeshbasedSudiksha,aimstoaddressthis
challengebydevelopingteachersas'businessowners'.Theorganisationemploysa
grassrootentrepreneurshipmodelbytrainingyoungwomenwithinthesocietytorunthe
schoolsasanenterprise.Althoughitisapreschoolcentre,theprogrammehelpsdevelop
schoolsfocusingonthelowincomeurbanandsemiurbanregions,managedby
entrepreneursfromwithinthecommunity.Mostchildren'sparentsaredailywagelabouror
workinsmallbusinesses.Sudikshahasgrownfromsixschoolsin2011to25schoolsby
mid2013,andhasraisedfundingfromPearsonAffordableLearningFund.
b.Socialenterpriseenablinglearningthroughpeerinstructionsandgrouplearning:
Motivationapart,expertspointtolackofqualificationsonthepartoftheteachers,andthe
lackofsupportsystem,tobeanothermajorcontributortopooroutcomes.Thisproblemis
oftencompoundedbyflawedteachingtechniques.
Avanti,ahybridsocialenterprise,aimstotacklethisbyenablingstudentstolearnthrough
peerinstructionsandgrouplearning,ratherthanthetraditionalteachercentricdelivery.
Volunteersfromtopengineeringschoolsspendtwotothreehoursaweektomentorthe
students.Theorganisationfocusesonhighpotentiallowincomestudents,andoperatesfive
centresinthemetro/bigcitiesMumbai,DelhiandKanpur.Asaconsciousefforttocreate
accessforthepoorersectionofsociety,studentsareeligibleonlyiftheirfamilyhasan
averageannualincomeoflessthanRs2,50,000.Asafee,thestudentspayaboutasixthof
theavailablealternatives.
c.Usingtechnologytoprovideaccessiblelearning:Organisationsarealsoleveraging
technology,toreducetheonusontheteachersandprovideaccessiblelearning.KYan,
developedbyIL&FSEducationincollaborationwithIITBombay,isanintegratedcommunity
computerthatfoldsinaprojectorandafoldablescreen.WithbuiltinwebcamandInternet
connectivity,thisdevicemakesaclassroomportable,andopensupopportunitiesfor
communitylearningandanytimestudy.Takingtheclassroomstothechildreninopenfields
andgrounds,candramaticallyimproveinteractivityandreduceabsenteeism.
KYancanalsobepoweredbyinvertersoracarbattery,whichiscriticalconsideringonly
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abouthalfofprimaryschoolshaveaccesstoelectricityinIndia.
d.Contentdigitisationforanimmersivelearningexperience:Anotherbigtrendin
primaryeducationisthedigitisationofeducationalcontenttoenablelearningexperiences
beyondclassrooms,atthestudent'sreach.HarvardprofessorClaytonChristensenhad
arguedthathalfofK12educationwillbeonlineby2019.
Startedin2009,AttanoisIndia'sfirsteducationaleBookstore.Theirproductsarenowbeing
usedbystudentsinmorethan80townsinIndia,andalotofthatisoutsidebiggercities.The
companyclaimsalotofthetrafficiscomingfromTierIIcities.Attanobelievesthatstudents
seekclassroomlikeimmersivelearningexperienceintheirhands,athomeoroutside.Itis
worthnoting,thatthereducedcostofmobiledevicesandincreasedInternetpenetrationhas
helpedtheproliferationofonlineeducationalcontent.
Butdespiteofalltheseinitiativesinplace,onemustwonder,willthesebusinessesand
newertechnologiesenableIndiaachievetheoptimallevelofprimaryeducation?Ithinkmore
'willpower'alongwithincreasedlevelofinvestmentstargetedattheprimaryeducation
sectorisrequiredtotriggerthischange.
(SanjeevJhaisaPartneratInvYramidInnovationStrategyConsulting.Previously,
SanjeevfoundedPriorityResearchand30rupees.com.Inhisfortnightlyonline
columnforBusinessToday,Jhafocusesonbusinessmodelinnovation,business
strategy,consumerinsights,andentrepreneurship.)
Follow@sanjeev__jhaoremail:sanjeev_jha@invyramid.com
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