Technology Is Transforming Education Sector; Know Why India Needs Comprehensive EdTech Policy

Technological advancement in the world, especially in India, has transformed every sector, and education is no exception. Technology-backed education has taken over the traditional method of learning in the classroom, which involves a teacher, a blackboard and students.

Undoubtedly, tech-backed education has proved to be approachable, enjoyable, effective and accessible for both teachers and students. According to a survey by Statista, the country's education technology (Edtech) sector was valued at over 750 million dollars in 2020, and by 2025, the industry will boom to nearly 4 billion dollars.

The country realised the importance of edtech only after the COVID-19 pandemic made its debut in 2020 and shook the country through the lockdown. The students were forced to stay at home, which limited their learning and made a long learning gap. Only with the intervention of edtech, the students continued with digital learning.

The teachers can present better media-backed learning materials to students who effectively increase their learning capacity. The software-driven applications also helped track individuals' performance to assess their learning curve.

While conversing with The Logical Indian, the country's leading investor and founding member at the Plaksha University, Dr Ritesh Malik, said, "India is embracing technology and opportunities in tech-led innovations. Internet users across the country are among the highest in the world. We must build tech-backed platforms to solve several challenges- education, women's safety, hygiene, sanitation, and corruption, among others."

Growth In Edtech Sector

India's EdTech market is only growing with no looking back since the pandemic. The country has over 37 million paid edtech users who all believe it's the best suitable method to learn at their own pace.

When the pandemic marked its presence, digital learning also witnessed growth in tier-2 and three cities. However, the students from the underprivileged sections of a society incapable of accessing digital learning resources faced a year-long learning gap.

The sector has garnered a private investment of nearly 4 billion dollars in the last five to six years, taking Indian edtech companies to global platforms. With increasing demand and emerging business models, the sector is expected to see unpredictable growth in the next ten years, experts suggest.

Need Of Edtech Policy In India

As the edtech market is growing in India with increased users, many scholars don't have access to the same. According to industry experts, only one in four students in the country have access to digital learning due to several reasons and circumstances.

The traditional method of education lacks an innovative and creative way of learning, restricting students' potential. With conventional education, the participation of students and interaction with teachers has also been a concern.

However, the National Education Policy 2020 draws new guidelines to push edtech sectors in India by proposing a National EducationTechnology Forum. But the country requires a comprehensive framework and policy to regulate the edtech sector and ensure that no student is left behind when accessing digital learning.

The policy is also required to address the modern challenges associated with technology-backed education. Firstly, the policy can ensure standard content quality as in the absence of such guidelines, there is no quality assurance of content that students consume.

Secondly, a comprehensive framework would protect consumers from misleading or false information presented in the form of content. It will also ensure consumer protection from financial plagues or deficient services.

Lastly, edtech companies require a large amount of data before onboarding students on their platform. The policy can ensure the data protection of children, as their sensitive personal information can be misused to harm in any nature.

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