India has more than 50% of its population below the age of 25 and more than 65% below the age of 35 and a large number need primary education. Well begun is half done, so goes the saying. Primary education lays the foundation and there is a lot of emphasis in this segment
Youth has the largest share in the demographics of India and that makes education the most vital sector.
When we talk about education, one can’t help but think and bemoan at the current state of primary education in the country. It forms the most basic stage of formal education that is preceded by preschool. Here, India lags behind, especially in rural areas, where the level of literacy among adults is poor. Rural literacy rate still stands at just 69%, which is far below the world average of 86%.
However, all of these promises to change in the coming years. With the advent of technology, the process of teaching, as well as learning, is bound to become more interesting and practical. The future isn’t just limited to technology, though. Let’s take a look at some of the future trends that will shape the primary education in India.
Use of technology at teaching level
Generation Z is so much into technology that education can’t help but integrate it. A smart class is one of the latest developments taking place in primary school, especially in urban areas and Google Classroom an extremely popular tool. 3D printing and Virtual reality (VR) are expected to give influx to creativity through real-life experience.
Revival of Indian Languages
India is a land of ‘linguistic pluralism. Few years back, Sanskrit was a part of Indian education system, alongside other local languages. In recent years, Indian schools have begun aspiring to compete on an international level. In this race, Indian languages have been compromised.
However, our local languages will continue to play a role in primary education as Hindi still remains the 3rd most widely spoken language in the world.
At Global Indian International School, Chinchwad, there is usage of Hindi even in their flagship events. An entire show is compeered with impeccable articulation in Hindi and students are well trained in the language winning accolades in competitions at inter-school, state and national level.
Edu-tech Startups
India is the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world. There are many edu-tech startups in the country currently that are changing the landscape of the education sector. By offering online courses and other means of e-learning, starting right from pre-school, these startups will play a dominating role in the industry’s future.
Khan Academy, even though not Indian, is a popular e-learning startup that offers a variety of online tools to educate students. Udemy is another foreign startup that offers similar services.
Keeping in mind the fascination of kids towards technology, edu-tech startups are here to stay.
One-to-one mentoring
While the number of students is constantly increasing, the number of teachers isn’t. However, mentoring is a concept that is going to play a major role in primary education in the future. Mentorship may not necessarily be a relationship between a teacher and a student. It may exist between a senior and a junior as well. Whatever may be the form, mentorship concept is something that will shape primary education in the future, especially when teacher may be short in number.
Less dropouts as literacy rate among parents increases
Primary Indian schools in rural areas have been facing dropout problems for years. The main cause is the poor literacy rate among parents. They don’t value their child’s education as much as they value their daily income, which is why they prefer sending their children to farms rather than schools.
Parents are the ambassadors who will create awareness about literacy. As the literacy rate continues to elevate, we will produce well-educated individuals and see lesser number of children dropping out of primary education.
Skill-based education or vocational education
According to a recent study, 65% of today’s grade school kids will end up at a job that hasn’t been invented yet. Thus, skill-based education is going to be the way to go in future. At Global Indian International School, there are 21 hobby clubs for students to choose from, which helps them to enhance their intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. Such clubs are important in helping the children learn new skills and discover within themselves the hidden talents.
As mentioned earlier, education is an exciting space that promises to deliver in future. Technology is going to bring a revolution in the education sector and thus produce more employable youngsters in future.
