Byju’s, India’s most valuable ed-tech startup, has collaborated with India’s think tank NITI Aayog to offer free access to its tech-driven learning programs for students across 112 “aspirational districts” across India. The partnership will encompass two major modules which are Byju’s Career-Plus program and a volunteer initiative for kids going to schools.
The Aakash+BYJU Career-Plus program will help to identify and conduct test preparation coaching for 3,000 eligible students from grades 11 and 12 who wish to prepare for the NEET and JEE exams. Students for the Career Plus program will be handpicked through a pre-designed test and will be offered with teaching and content material, as well as mentoring support and guidance.
In addition, through Byju’s social impact initiative entitled “Education for All,” schoolchildren in grades 6-12 can get academic content via Byju’s Learning App for three years. Both the learning programs will integrate the best of classroom and online learning, resulting in a hybrid educational model.
The program also involves the formation of a dedicated working group to create knowledge, innovation, as well as a strategic support system. In addition, the group will actively monitor and examine program implementation to guarantee productivity and a wider scope of execution. Students will have access to digital infrastructure in the form of gadgets such as tablets, smartphones, or laptops in addition to specialized centers for implementation assistance.
The Aspirational Districts are India’s most underdeveloped districts in fields that include education, agriculture, and water resources, basic infrastructure, health, nutrition, financial inclusion, and skill development.
“Technology has played a key role in helping ensure continuity, and a lot of classrooms have moved to an “online” format. In many ways, this has catalyzed the development of innovations in the education space, and it is imperative for us to reimagine education and keep pace with these innovations,” said Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog.
While Byju Raveendran, founder, and CEO of Byju’s commented on the collaboration saying, “We are confident that with this partnership, children from underserved communities and locations will be empowered with tech-enabled learning and bring in positive systemic changes in the education ecosystem.”
With the COVID-19 outbreak acting as a significant turning point, the Indian education system was forced to transition into online classes to ensure educational continuity while complying with social distancing guidelines. This also acted as a catalyst to the $700 million ed-tech industry, which has generated over $4 billion in the last five years and is predicted to grow to $30 billion in the next ten years.