India has been among the fastest-growing economies in the world in the last decade. However, a key issue that is plaguing the country is the quality of education provided to children across all levels. While successive governments have sworn to make education accessible to all and enrolment of children in schools is as high as 97 percent, the quality of education being provided in these schools is way below average. In a country like India where the student population is on a steady rise, this is a serious cause for concern.
According to a British Council study, India will be home to the largest domestic higher education market by 2025 with the largest 18 to 22 year old population in a decade – 119 million. This means that the student population is on a steady rise, making it difficult for schools to accommodate a large number of students. Often times, many children find it tough to learn in the crowded environment inside classrooms. The effect: parents and teachers notice that most children are unable to grasp concepts and freely ask doubts due to a lack of confidence or anxiety of being mocked at by other children in the classroom.
Moreover, in an age of cut-throat competition in education and the ever-increasing expectations of teachers and parents, it is difficult to rely on school education alone. Students need personalised guidance which leads parents to repeatedly feel the need for home and online tutoring as the best option for their kids. According to a 2016 National Sample Survey Organization report, about 11 to 12 percent of a familys expenditure is attributed to coaching classes and tuitions. The number of students taking such classes was estimated to be 71 million, almost 26 percent of the total number of students in the country at that time. The picture is pretty much the same even today. Receiving tuitions privately on a one on one basis is found to be beneficial for both the student and the tutor. The idea is that when the teacher has only one student, he/she has a better understanding of the latters learning pattern, so the students gets enough time and liberty to clear doubts, study without distractions and get the undivided individualized attention of the teacher, which brings out the best in them.
Private tuitions are becoming an extremely common practice now amongst parents, as many kids do not study properly at home. There are cases when parents have to force their children to study but cannot get involved due to lack of time or expertise with certain subjects. Tuitions give confidence to parents that their children will have supervised study time on a daily basis. Not only that, a good tutor can highlight strengths and identify weaknesses and consider all areas of development i.e. physical development such as a child struggling with handwriting; intellectual development such as concentration skills; language development such as verbal and written communication skills; and social skills so that a child develops a confidence to express emotionally.
But the importance of a good tutor cannot be overstated in all this. It is important to look for a tutor with good qualifications and experience.
Moreover, as the entire nation is shifting towards digitalization, learning through technology has become more pervasive. Many parents are now opting to find private tutors through online aggregator platforms. These platforms provide the list of verified and vetted tutors who have gone through the stringent vetting process that includes proficiency tests, interviews and background checks. Parents and students can compare tutors based on various parameters, such as location, budget, mode of class (online or offline), type of class (group or individual), etc. They can also check the reviews and ratings shared by other parents. This way parents are empowered to choose tutors that exactly match their childs requirements.
In short, technology has now become ubiquitous in every walk of our life and it is an essential tool of modern-day education. It is now for parents to decide on how they plan to make the most of this opportunity available to further childrens academic potential and help them progress.
The views expressed in this article are those of Minal Anand, founder & CEO, GuruQ, India’s leading digital platform that connects students with the right tutors to address the huge need gap of quality tutoring in India.
Also read: Private tuitions boom
