Perhaps, you want to invest in a school management system. Thus you wish to know the future of online education in India before investing in technology.
Virtual learning has been around for more than a decade. It has been playing a pivotal role in maintaining continuity in education. But, a total shift to online education was bothersome for everyone.
Educators and trainees across all levels of the education system had to shift to online learning. Some of these developments have completely changed the way the education sector works.
Let’s look at the challenges, influential factors, and role of online education in the sector.
1. Initial impact on teachers, parents, and students
The bedroom turned into a classroom. School time merged with playtime, and parents became teachers. Put simply, changes have affected all three stakeholders- parents, teachers, and students.
Initially, attending virtual classes resulted in exhaustion and fatigue for children. They were unable to indulge in extra-curricular tasks. Lack of physical activities did impact their health as well.
Things were more difficult for trainees with low-income family backgrounds. They were not able to afford a desktop, laptop, or smartphone for virtual learning.
Teachers faced many challenges. The first one was drafting study materials to suit online learning. Their second difficulty was to ensure children maintain unwavering attention on the screen. Keeping them active and retaining their interest was also difficult during the initial weeks.
Parents had problems in managing their professional and parental responsibilities.
Guardians remained worried about their child’s excessive screen time. And that’s logical because kids attend virtual classes, then watch cartoon shows or play games on the same device. But now, after more than a year, that’s not a cause of concern for parents anymore.
2. Studies highlight the plight of students
As per Unicef’s estimates, lockdowns impacted 247 million school children in India. Their report suggests only one in four students in India have access to online education.
Studies have highlighted that only 11.5 percent of homes in India have a computer and internet connection. Plus, an extra 24 percent have access to a smartphone.
It’s 2021, yet, the regular school routine remains disturbed in India. Schools may open in a phased manner and allow kids to return to the classrooms by the end of the year. But, they would need support to catch up on everything they have missed.
3. Schools in rural parts still to install technology
Lack of high-speed internet and a steady flow of electricity are significant hurdles for spreading online education.
Limited availability of devices and lack of familiarity with technology is another issue.
Institutes in these areas were unable to change their teaching methods overnight last year. Thus, schools in rural areas still rely on traditional methods of teaching.
Both students and teachers need user-friendly platforms and more training.
The teacher-to-student ratio is poor in India’s rural areas. The shortage needs a resolution before the transformation.
4. School management systems helped institutions in staying relevant
Educational institutes have been operating with minimum resources since last year. School management software is helping these institutions survive.
The ERP can integrate various communication channels like apps, forums, and the school website. Data for students’ performance remains accessible to all stakeholders on these platforms. Thus, it enhances parent-teacher communication.
School ERP software and apps simplify tasks and add transparency to administrative affairs. Systems remain accessible from anywhere at all times. Administrators can handle various procedures remotely. Here’s a quick look at the advantages:
- Admission and fees management
Automating various admission procedures reduces the burden on staff members. It introduces an extra level of transparency. Plus, an analytics dashboard makes monitoring activities easy for the management.
Processes like application management, data processing, seat allocation, registration, and processing payment become easy.
Automation handles tasks like analyzing records and sending fee notifications. The fees management feature handles fee payment via the school website and apps. When integrated with a payment gateway, the school ERP can support various payment methods.
- Schedule management
Admin team works on course scheduling. They create subject-wise timetables and assign staff members for each class. Then, they also convey schedules to teachers and trainees.
With school ERP, all these scheduling tasks are automated. Thus, managing human resources and generating payroll data for staff becomes easy for the management.
- Conducting tests and declaring results
School management software integration with online examination systems reduces a significant burden.
Online assessments have become the new norm. Subject-matter experts can create test papers from the comfort of their homes.
Teachers can create and assign tests with various types of questions within minutes. Results get calculated within seconds with auto-evaluation. Test or assignment scores automatically get shared with teachers and parents.
- Homework management
Lecturers can assign homework digitally and share study materials with reference links. Students can submit the same as per the set deadline.
Further, teachers can track the progress, evaluate the work, and share their feedback.
5. The positive side
Educational institutions in India face their own set of opportunities and issues. However, since last year, teachers and administrators are facing historically complicated challenges. Yet, implementing technology has helped them handle difficulties.
Educators who often stayed away from edutech have managed to learn new technical skills. They now use online learning systems like a champ. Kids have also demonstrated their potential to embrace the online learning model.
With a reduction in running costs, schools can save considerably. They can pass the benefit to students in the form of fee cuts.
Conclusion:
Schools and colleges intend to start physical classroom sessions during the coming months. However, instead of old teaching methods, they are introducing hybrid learning. A combination of virtual and physical classrooms is the future. So, investing in school management software is undoubtedly worth it.
