Missed a lecture at coaching class? Refer to the recorded version online. Do you not have a popularly sought after coaching giant in your city? You can log on to its electronic version and take online classes. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic-led digital intervention in the education sector, the allied coaching industry also has undergone a tremendous change.
While it has led to more opportunities for some, many struggle to survive in the increasing competition with the online or digital platforms that have mushroomed during the pandemic.
Offering digital interfaces along with the conventional offline mode of teaching has become a compulsion for most of them, but for some the struggle means a longer wait to go back to the pre-pandemic numbers.
The struggle
According to many in the industry, while around 70 percent of students are back to the conventional offline system, others have found more convenient and cost effective modes online too. “If I am charging Rs 5,000 per subject in the offline conventional mode, there are online platforms where a student can opt for lectures for all the subjects for the same amount or a little more. In some cases, the students have gotten used to the customised approach where they like to view lectures by different tutors from different coaching institutes,” said Santosh Waskar, president of Maharashtra Class Owners Association (MCOA).
According to coaching classes, credit goes to various YouTube teachers, there is a considerable group of students — around 10 percent of the Covid-19 pre-pandemic number of students — who are still keeping away from the regular coaching classes.
“These are the two categories — the ultra intelligent, for whom referring to an online lecture is enough to understand the concept and lead to self-study; and the ultra lazy, students who are no longer interested to go through the additional coaching class routine after knowing about the online platforms available as that is convenient,” according to Narendra Bambwani from popular Reliable Classes, who is also a former MCOA vice president.
Explaining how the coaching industry has been slowly adapting to the new ways to thrive, Bambwani said, “The investment cost has increased with the digital compulsion, but there is no room to increase the fee-structure, owing to the already reduced number of students — many burdened by financial issues — amidst the pandemic.” The situation has understandably led to a reduction in the tangible infrastructure of the coaching classes.
Manoj Jariwala from the business development at JK Shah Classes said, “Coaching classes which were running out of rental premises have vanished. Whereas many small players have had to reduce the number of classrooms or offices among all.”
A new mandate
In coaching institutes, there are smart boards, projectors and interactive classes nowadays that complement the teaching style.
Hybrid classes, sharing of notes online and recorded lectures have become the new normal along with conventional classroom teaching. According to Bambwani, “It is impossible now to run coaching classes without proper digitalisation.”
“There are different digital modes such as mobile applications, learning systems and YouTube videos among others that have been developed for all the students,” said MCOA president Waskar.
Coaching institutes sought after for the preparation of competitive examinations such as Joint entrance Exam (JEE) and others have been making their digital presence visible. “Thanks to our e-school format, students from areas where we do not even have a centre are able to subscribe to our services,” said Mohit Sardana, director and head of FIITJEE (Mumbai chapter).
The mode to triumph
Another popular JEE coaching — IITians PACE — which has also started an online division said it has received an overwhelming response this year.
“With an online division, we received an overwhelming response this year — to our brick and mortar mode. Parents want results which are possible through the conventional mode of learning. The technology will, however, remain a supplementary tool,” said Praveen Tyagi, director and founder of IITians PACE.
While the technology is widely used nowadays to ensure convenience, Sardana pointed out, “It is more challenging to ensure that all the students take notes, maintain focus and not get busy being judges — deciding which online teacher to subscribe for.”
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