Is Education purely a business?

October 17: Higher secondary student life in today’s world is filled with the pressure and stress of schoolwork, homework, tuition, competitive exams, and career decisions. Students listen to monotonous lectures all day and go to tuition in the evenings to listen to more lectures, which leaves them very little time for active learning and personal growth. Over 18 lakh students apply for the highly competitive NEET UG exam every year and the number of medical aspirants is rising. This attracts more and more business entrepreneurs to market and target this audience for businesses and the NEET business is a highly lucrative one.

These entrepreneurs prioritize profits over educational standards, putting students at a disadvantage. “Overall, the level of business engagement and activity is unprecedented in this century.” States a Harvard business review article titled “Does Business have any business in education?” It does on to mention “the catch-22 effects of inflexible bureaucracies, inane regulations, and incompetent administrators and union officials. In too many school districts, excellence survives despite the system, not because of it.” This can extend in truth to India’s educational system and coaching institutes as well.

Are these institutes pressuring students more and diluting them with too many sources to study from, which in turn are detrimental to a student’s preparation, instead of actually benefit students? The article goes on to mention key organizational problems that are holding education behind. “With few exceptions, neither institution is successfully preparing people for the demands of the new industrial economy.” Says this account. Likewise, such branded educational institutes not run by educators with experience, still use a study approach not adequate for today’s highly competitive atmosphere. In fact, many of the NEET UG toppers marketed to be from these institutions actually study from alternate sources.

With educational costs rising, parents are spending even more money than ever on extremely high coaching center fees. However, in the end, students go through their entire day tiresomely listening to non-stop lectures- only of which about 20% absorb in their brains. As research shows, the best way to practice is by active learning. So why are parents paying such expensive fees for out-of-date study methods and subnormal preparation materials? Not to mention the energy and time for students to travel to these centers makes the already stressed student even more exhausted.

Big brands a deceiving parents with branding and marketing. These multi-billion dollar brands aren’t preparing students to most effectively for competitive exams.

Few ed-tech start ups such as Basidia Learning is making headway into the new age of learning. Basidia learning, a practice substitute created by doctors, helps medical aspirants with their scientifically proven study approach. They emphasize consistent active learning and solving MCQs. Their MCQs have a high likelihood of actually appearing on the final NEET UG exams. They also provide a detailed description to every question, easy to learn concepts made simple in their lessons, videos from top faculty, custom tests, and mock tests to assess and improve.

The custom tests allow students to personally assess themselves and note their weaknesses and strengths. This allows students for personal growth, giving attention to the topics that need more focus. Aimed at helping students to study smarter, students can access this platform on-to-go via mobile, tab or desktop. Not only does modern age technology allow students to save time and energy, but unlike other coaching institutes that separate students into classes and teachers according to their ranks, Basidia Learning allows all students to access education from top faculty members. These ed-tech platforms are also significantly lower priced than the branded coaching institutes.

With educational platforms such as these giving importance to educational quality and helping students reach their maximum potential all at affordable prices, parents should think twice before entering big brand institutions. Most NEET toppers use online platforms such as these for their daily practice material. With the newer age of education, advanced technology, and emerging educational platforms, students all over India can have access to high-quality NEET UG preparation material and have the potential to become the next NEET topper.

Disclaimer : The above is a sponsored article and the views expressed are those of the sponsor/author and do not represent the stand and views of The Tribune editorial in any manner.

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