dL November 2015

R R R R R R R R R

ISSN 0973-4139

VOLUME VOLUME 11 ISSUE 11 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 04 APRIL 2015

Delivering Pre-Schools

School Education 08 TN schools to Offset New Fee Structure Campus Calling 10 TSCHE proposes Vocational Training in

28 Fostering Early Years 32 Making Learning Fun 36 Bringing Positive Change 38 Feasible Franchising 42 Promoting Entrepreneurial

Regular Courses

12 Skill Training Programmes for Clinicians and Surgeons

News Policy 14 NET & Non-NET Fellowships To Be Reviewed: MHRD

15 Skill Development Cadre in UPSC

Venture

from 2016

44 A Joy To Learn

16

16 COVER STORY

Array Learning Into Young Minds

Industry Speak

Special Feature

25 27

4

Future of e-Learning Learn Anywhere, Anytime For Free

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Managing The Campus Efficiently

54

Cashing on Cashless Campus

56

Revolutionising The Exam Process

November 2015 / digitalLEARNING

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EDITORIAL

Inviting to Unravel #HappyDubai If Prime Minister Modi is unfurling development in vivid ways, His Highness Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai is enunciating Happiness in its myriad manners. #HappyDubai is the buzz in this 784 hectares of quiet green oasis which is somewhere nurtured from the prolific philosophy of Dubai Premier which considers the United Arab Emirates as merely a financial or economic centre, or only a tourist destination between East and West, but an important humanitarian centre on the international stage.

The vision of instilling happiness as a dominant outcome of Dubai’s emerging education sector is something startlingly and worth learning from.

What makes the 96 per cent of Dubai parents happy with school contracts?

What propels the Dubai teachers even more positive about education?

What instigate the Schools of Dubai to conduct a collaborative event series, What Works?

Such and many more questions do capture your imagination if you ever traverse this entrepot to the duly endowed Arab World which claims itself to have ushered 78 per cent happiness. digitalLEARNING is thereby convening the 6th edition of its World Education Summit at Dubai in the month of February, 2016 with this implicit intent to provide the global educators a peep-dive into the happiness narrative.

Pre-Schools are an important milestone in the learning curve of any child. The impressions impregnated at this early stage become life long possessions. Pre-schooling is thereby a very sensitive and sophisticated science which has been mastered by some of the finest pre-school establishments of the country. This issue makes our readers to undergo a rendezvous with some of them. Our editorial team members, Jessy Iype and Bhawna Satsangi delved deeper into the entire landscape of pre-schooling system of India and have tried to cull out a ready reckoner on the best practices across the deck.

Mainstreaming Higher Education as an active constituent of national discourse is something which shall provide the due vitality to India’s Higher Education System, which is going through a silent metamorphosis. A significant chunk of India’s Higher Education Fraternity would be deliberating around this theme at the 3rd edition of Higher Education Knowledge Exchange 2015, Goa in December. This shall however, happen only when the Educational Governance is taken to its next level by rendering some of the operational pains as in examination management; cash management and overall campus management to the trusted hands of technology.

This issue also marks the launch of the mega digitalLEARNING SCHOOL RANKING SURVEY 2015, the findings of which shall be presented in our next issue.

We are wrapping up this issue on the eve of the forthcoming festival of light. I on behalf of the entire ELETS Family wish you a very illumining & Happy Diwali.

Happiness would find its own meaning at World Education Summit 2016, Dubai. I take this opportunity to invite you for the same as well.

Dr Ravi Gupta Editor-in-Chief Ravi.Gupta@elets.in

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November 2015 / digitalLEARNING

NEWS

To read latest news, log on to education.eletsonline.com

‘Class 12 education compulsory and essential’

KVs to Impart German as Foreign Language In an MoU signed between Germany and India, the Kendriya Vidyalayas will now impart German as an additional foreign language while modern Indian languages will be taught in Germany, a senior official informed.

“German will be taught as an additional foreign language,” Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar has said. He added that side-byside modern Indian languages will be taught in Germany. An MoU was signed between the two countries on the occasion of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit and under the understanding, a pact will be signed between the KV and Max Mueller Bhavan to formalise the arrangement. This marks an end to the controversy which had erupted about a year after KVs decided to stop teaching German as third language and replaced it with Sanskrit.

The governing board of KV had in its meeting on October 27 last year directed that teaching of German language as an option instead of Sanskrit be discontinued. The new understanding is a sharp departure from the earlier agreement of 2011 between the two countries to offer German as a third language in the KVs.

Talking on the policing of education and to make it equitable for all, Kimmane Rathnakar, Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education, Government of Karnataka said that there is a need to ensure that free and compulsory education, which covers only elementary level, is extended to the secondary level. Ratnakar said there was a need to ensure that compulsory education extends till class 12 or at least till class 10. The minister was speaking at a State-level consultation for New Education Policy (NEP) where various academicians and educationists gathered to debate and discuss problems and solutions in the current education system, recently in Bengaluru.

Highlighting another policy decision, he said that there was a need for pre-primary education to be integrated with primary education.

“Currently, the anganwadis are being run by the Department of Women and Child Development and the schools by the Education Department. Integrating the two may help reduce privatisation,” he said.

Marking Scheme for Class 12 Exam Changes From 2016 onwards the marking scheme for class 12 examinations will be changed as has been put forth by the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) Board. The marking scheme both for the written and practical segments for Computer Science, Fashion Designing, Physical Education, Indian Classical Music (Hindustani), Indian Classical Music (Carnatic Style) and Western Music has been changed.

Earlier the division of marks for

theory and practical were 50-50, which has now been replaced by 70 for theory and 30 for practical scheme. The duration for both theory and practical examination would be three hours each.

Gerry Arathoon, Chief Executive Officer, CISCE said, “Taking into consideration requirements of the universities and that of the children these changes have been introduced. Every concerned school has been informed through circulars issued by the board and have been assigned the task to inform students and parents.”

TN Schools to Offset New Fee Structure As per the recommendations of the Tamil Nadu government’s Private Schools Fee Determination Committee, headed by Justice S R Singaravelu, the niche schools in Chennai with less than 300 students are set to implement some major changes in the 2016 academic year, to offset the

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new fee structure.

The big ICSE, CBSE and matriculation schools have joined forces to seek legal redress. However, several small and mid-size schools are bracing themselves for the inevitable choice expand or closed down.

The small schools and schools which are offering specialised education, and

November 2015 / digitalLEARNING

were earlier reluctant to tamper with the teacher student ratio, may now take more students in the next academic year and also reduce the number of extracurricular activities.

As per the information on the Tamil Nadu Government website, the annual fees fixed by the committee is between `3,000 and

`40,000, depending on the infrastructure, number of teachers and students. In some cases, the fee fixed by the committee is about one-third of the current fees charged by the schools.

INDUSTRY SPEAK

digitallearning.eletsonline.com

Improving Learning Outcomes: Why Just Delivering Online

Learning is not Enough

D

o you think delivering a great online class is enough? If you do, you need to think again.

The role of an online educator or trainer entails not just creating great learning experiences, but also measuring their effectiveness. Most of the educators are satisfied with delivering a great class. They tend to overlook some of the most crucial aspects of educating learners, which are evaluating themselves and their instructional approach constantly. It is easier said than done for many educators and trainers.

What makes it difficult is the lack of information or insights into learner behaviour and activities.

You may be a great educator or trainer, but unless you are closely watching the learning journey of your learners, you can’t ensure learner success. Learning journey is inextricably linked to instructor effectiveness, which can be measured in terms of learner engagement, which in turn is influenced by factors, such as course completion rate, overall content consumption, dropout rate, to name a few. Educators need to be constantly aware of these factors in order to ensure optimal learning outcomes.

Moreover, this information is crucial for educators, enabling them to, among other things, understand learner behaviour, improve instructional content, and chose the right teaching approach. It allows educators and trainers to ensure the success of learners and that of their online teaching or training programme.

However, for most of the educators, this actionable information is not easy to come by, which makes it hard for them to get a 360-degree view of their online course.

This leads to a situation where online educators are unable to take corrective steps to improve learner engagement, result-

ing in high dropout rate and the possible failure of the teaching programme. In a situation like this, educators don’t have a clue about what went wrong. In the absence of the relevant facts, it is impossible to ascertain the exact reasons for the failure.

The right education technology solution bails online educators and trainers out of this tricky situation by providing the relevant information about learners’ activities. However, not every education technology solution comes with analytics feature that provides the right information related to your course and learners in an easy-to-consume format. It is therefore important for educators to choose the right solution for delivering learning.

WizIQ, the Online Academy building platform, which allows you to set up your own online academy within minutes, comes with Insights feature that provides all the relevant information that you, as an educator, need to stay on top of things. Insights provide real-time information about your learners’ activities through graphs, dashboards, and reports, which give you a clear view of how your learners are interacting with your instructional content or online course at any given time. You can have access to vital information, including overall course content consumption, online class login and logout times, percentage of course videos watched by learners, and more.

This information provided by Insights helps educators know about the learner behaviour and learning pattern, and get deep understanding of their specific learning needs and challenges. This allows educators to make significant improvements to their teaching or training programme in terms of personalising learning content or changing the way or format in which the content is delivered. With Insights, educators can focus on and address the learning needs of each and every learner effectively, thereby substantially reducing the dropout rate for their online courses and classes and improving learning outcomes.

Information is a powerful tool that can be leveraged by online educators and trainers to focus on the bigger picture and keep track of the seemingly smaller factors that have a far-reaching effect on the success of your teaching or training programme. The Insights feature of Online Academy provides educators with actionable information and deep insights into learners’ activities, enabling them to personalise learning, make data-driven decisions, and identify the learning gaps and resolve them promptly, thereby ensuring learner success.

For more information, send an email to ajayv@wiziq.com

digitalLEARNING / November 2015

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To read latest news, log on to digitallearning.eletsonline.com

TSCHE proposes Vocational Training in Regular Courses

To bridge the gap between academics and skills, the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) has proposed to initiate additional vocational training in higher education institutes from the next academic year.

With the rapid expansion of industries, the demand for technicians and skilled workers is also growing steadily in all the sectors. However, the intake at vocational institutes has remained constant for several years.

In this current scenario, the integrated approach of universities in the country to teach mainstream courses and vocational training is gaining popularity.

To meet this demand and fill the skills gap, the Telangana Government is planning to provide vocational training to students at the intermediate as well as undergraduate levels.

As per the proposal, students will be trained in any of the selected vocational skills along with their regular courses.

Although the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and the Advanced Training Institutes (ATIs) are already offering exclusive vocational courses at the Intermediate level, but the government still feels that students from technical education lack skills despite their well-designed curriculum and this is affecting their chances of getting jobs in the industry.

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November 2015 / digitalLEARNING

IMT Ghaziabad Remodelled PGDM-Executive Programme In the context of current global business scenario where innovation is the key, IMT Ghaziabad, a B-school has remodelled its PGDMExecutive Programme.

The step is taken to create a pull factor for the industry to hire students from the executive programme on a large scale.

It is an international immersion programme that would require the students to spend two weeks at various partner institutes in Europe. IMT’s rebranded executive programme meets the needs of future business leaders and creates valuable learning that drives performance in today’s competitive business environment.

Dr V Panduranga Rao, Group Advisor, IMT said, “The initiatives have led to an increase in the overall educational value especially in the context of industry ready candidates that is being discussed all around.” The institute is focusing on the industry-academia interface, bridging the gap between the technical and practical knowledge.

Highlighting the need for remodelling the entire Executive Programme, Dr. Sandeep Puri said, “The major reason for this change was the feedback given by industry specialists that students need to be more industry oriented. To address this issue, IMT has brought certain key

changes in its PGDMExecutive Programme, which includes the introduction of five courses sponsored by the industry itself in place of having just a few industry sessions.” This leads to better engagement of the industry with the students and thereby facilitates meaningful alliances.

Dr Khurana, Head of Admissions, IMT said, “IMT’s PGDMExecutive Programme is a 15-month programme, which

includes three months of industrial training and is specifically meant for students who have at least three years of work experience.

With the rebranding of the programme, IMT intends to offer unique opportunities and customised curriculum to magnify the impact of its Executive Programme and create solutions on how to respond to the unique needs of today’s dynamic business culture.”

Deepti Gupta, Placement Incharge – PGDM Executive Programme, IMT highlighted, “IMT has placed 99 per cent of its PGDMExecutive Programme batch in 2015, rising from 94 per cent in 2012. The Top 50 of them has received an average package of 15.23 lakhs while the top 100 has grabbed the package of 13.57 lakhs, with the number increasing year on year basis.

Currently, the number of companies is 181, which has increased significantly from 141 last year.”

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Govt set to Expand Medical Colleges’ Network With the aim of reducing the burden of patients in AIIMS, the government is set to expand the network of medical colleges in India. While speaking at the 43rd annual convocation of AIIMS, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the network of medical colleges in the country is set for expansion in a big way. He also pushed for relaxation in medical council and the municipal norms to achieve the desired goal.

He stressed on the need of more medical colleges as both public and private sector education has expanded but medical colleges are still inadequate. “A review of the policy is required as far as increasing the number of medical schools is concerned,” he said.

The Finance Minister opined that over involvement in the past had led to crisis for AIIMS and asked the ministry of health to play a supportive role without getting into micromanagement of the institution.

He also insisted on the fact that the medical colleges attach huge importance to the promotion of high-quality tertiary care services and expansion of medical education in the country.

As part of its objective to enhance clinician skills, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) India in partnership with Joslin Diabetes Center – an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is considering to launch a flagship online course on diabetes management through its J&J Diabetes Institute. In addition, J&J Medical India offers educational grant for a Certificate Course in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (CCGDM) created by PHFI in partnership with Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Education Academy (DMDEA), Chennai.

“We need to expand quality institutions. There are many restraints like unavailability of contiguous land and inability to have medical colleges next to it. All this needs a serious review. We have ready-made hospitals of excellence which have worked for decades and there is no reason why, by relaxing municipal laws and medical council regulations, we are not able to encourage the expansion of a few hundred more medical colleges in India,” Jaitley said.

Four Guj Varsities to Conduct CCC Examination Four universities of Gujarat, Saurashtra University, Gujarat University, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University and MS University will now be conducting the Certificate Course in Computer Knowledge (CCC) Examination, the state government has said. The decision was taken only when the government found that there were more than 1.5 lakh government employees waiting to appear for the CCC examination. Earlier, only Gujarat Technological University (GTU) was conducting the examination.

According to the officials, every state government employee has to appear for the CCC examination. However, with the backlog of 1.5 lakh employees, the state has given a relaxation for clearing the examination. It is to be noted that due to absence of clearing the examination, the employees were not given promotion.

M N Patel, Gujarat University Vice Chancellor said, “GTU was conducting the examination for only 10,000 to 15,000 candidates. However, the state has now decided that each university will be conducted examination for 25,000 candidates.

The state government has asked each university to prepare a detailed programme for the examination and submit it to the state for conducting this examination.

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November 2015 / digitalLEARNING

Skill Training Programmes for Clinicians & Surgeons

On the other hand, J&J’s Ethicon Institute of Surgical Education (EISE) has trained over 130,000 healthcare practitioners across various specialties, in order to help the surgeons and healthcare professionals in India to keep themselves updated with the emerging trends in medical and surgical care.

The state-of-the-art institute imparts `hands-on’ training to budding and practicing surgeons, gynecologists and paramedical staff with real life simulated situations to facilitate quality learning. The institute is planning to offer transformational curriculums to help the healthcare professionals in India to enhance their skills.

India has about 800,000 physicians with only 0.6 physicians per 1000 population. Moreover, the demand for well-trained physicians in India far outstrips the current supply especially as the country’s health challenges move from acute, communicable diseases to lifestyle related diseases.

NEWS

To read latest news, log on to education.eletsonline.com

NET & Non-NET Fellowships To Be Reviewed: MHRD As a part of the overall process of bringing about change in the higher education sector, and improving access, quality, impact and equity in the Universities, the Ministry of Human Resource Development is in the process of reviewing the current research framework, efforts, opportunities, quality and output. A key imperative is the need to encourage and expand quality research in diverse fields.

For over two decades, the All India National Eligibility Test (NET), a competitive examination conducted twice a year by the University Grants Commission (UGC) has been the basis for the Research Fellowships, currently almost 9,000 that enable students to pursue M.Phil and Ph.D

programmes.

The Non-NET Fellowship Scheme was introduced by the UGC in 2006. It is presently limited only to 50 institutions including Central Universities and those with Potential for Excellence. Almost 35,000 students are presently availing these Fellowships.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development has from December 2014, enhanced the support provided to Research Fellowships based on the NET. Junior Research Fellows will receive, for the first two years `25,000 per month and 30

per cent House Rent Allowance (HRA) as well as a contingency grant for each year.

Senior Research Fellows will receive, for the next three years Rupee Foradian 28,000 per month, 30 per cent HRA and a contingency grant for each year.

The Government has decided to establish a Review Committee to go into the issues related to the research fellowships provided by the UGC, covering both NET and Non-NET fellowships. The Review Committee will submit its report to the Ministry within December 2015.

School Boards Meet to Discuss Moderation of Marks With cut-offs for admission in colleges and universities scaling new heights every year, the practice of ‘moderation’ of marks in Class XII examinations became a debatable topic at the national-level meeting of school boards called by the HRD Ministry in October end. Moderation of marks is a policy adopted by school education boards, which is at times seen as the reason behind steady increase in Class XII results. Showing the propensity to award higher academic grades, the number of students scoring 95 per cent and above in Class XII examinations conducted by CBSE rose 23 times in six years, from just 384 in 2008 to 8,971 in 2014.

This trend has forced the country’s top universities to set the eligibility criteria drastically high for applicants.

This year, two colleges of Delhi University set the admission threshold at 100 per cent for the admission to the course of BSc (Computer Science).

In fact, every year around two crore students appear in Class X and 1.5 crore students in Class XII public examinations conducted by 42 education boards in India. The moderation of marks is a common practice adopted to “bring uniformity in the evaluation process”. This practice is among many other examination reforms that will be discussed at the meeting.

EU keen to Rope in India on HE Bridging their strategic ties strong, the European Union is keen on improving India’s participation in EUfunded higher education programmes such as the Erasmus+ and the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) for developing nations, an official informed.

“There is a lot more opportunity for India to take part in our programmes because India is our strategic partner now,” said Brian Toll, Senior Policy

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Adviser, International Cooperation in Education and Youth, European Commission, Brussels.

“The two programmes give India an opportunity to take part in the projects for students, university staff, researchers and institutions.

We want to see India very much involved in looking towards progress in higher education, internationalisation, modernisation, quality and transparency of

systems,” added Toll.

Currently, over 55,000 Indian students are studying in the EU, across 4,000 higher education institutions.

The Erasmus+ programme offers students generous scholarships, covering travel and living expenses as well as tuition fees, for approved courses and periods of study, from three-month courses to full Master’s degrees.

digitallearning.eletsonline.com

Skill Development Cadre In UPSC From 2016

The need for skill development in the country touched a new aspect. Now, besides IAS, IPS and other services, aspirants for public services will have one more service to choose from – the Indian Skill Development Service – in the annual examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) from next year onwards.

Union Minister for Skill Development, Rajiv

Pratap Rudy said, “We are speeding up on the creation of a dedicated skill development cadre.

In fact, the next civil services exam (201617) conducted by UPSC will also recruit for this service. We are working on the job requirement as of now. One guiding idea is to make the service aspirational.”

“With so many changes in the skill development scenario – like over

13,000 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) coming under the skill development ministry, plans to set up skill universities, etc, there will be a need for a dedicated cadre that can handle the challenges ahead and infuse the much-needed professionalism. This service will take care of that,” he added.

The Union cabinet had cleared the formation of a Group ‘A’ service for skill development. Under the Narendra Modi government, skill development has occupied significant focus with the expectation that the Skill India plan would supply human resources for government-declared mega plans like Digital India, Make in India, etc.

Focus on Skill development mission: UGC University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked more than 700 universities and 35,000 colleges to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s skill development mission. The aim to rope in these institutions is to use their infrastructure beyond formal education.

The universities have been asked to implement the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), which aims to train 2.4 million youth in 2015-16.

In a circular dated 12 October, UGC has asked the universities to ensure that the scheme is implemented with quality outcomes in universities and in the colleges affiliated with the universities. UGC has asked universities to furnish the plan by the end of October.

The centre is fearful that Rs.1500 crore initiative might meet the same fate as that of the Standard Training and Assessment and Reward (STAR) scheme which was launched by the previous government and implemented by the NSDC. PMKVY scheme has also been implemented by NSDC too.

Scrap reservation in HE institutions: SC Laying emphasis on merit rather than giving undue privileges through reservation in the educational institutions, the Supreme has urged the Centre and the state governments to scrap all forms of reservation in institutions of higher education, in national interest.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and P C Pant noted that despite several reminders to the central and state governments to make merit the primary criteria for admissions into superspecialty courses, the ground reality remained that reservation often holds sway over merit. The court regretted

that some “privilege remains unchanged” even after 68 years of independence.

“The fond hope has remained in the sphere of hope… The said privilege remains unchanged, as if (it is) to compete with eternity,” the bench stated. It concurs completely with what the Supreme Court had ruled in 1988 in two judgments, it added.

In the two cases, while dealing

with the issue of reservation in superspecialty courses in medical institutions, the top court had said “there should really be no reservation” since it is in the general interest of the country for improving the standard of higher education, and thereby improving the quality of available medical services to the people of India.

It has also asked the government authorities to abstain from relaxing the eligibility criteria basing it on various kinds of reservation since it would not equate the objective of imparting the best possible training to selected meritorious candidates.

digitalLEARNING / November 2015

15

COVER STORY

With the urban space in the metros giving away opportunities to many in terms of vocation, business venture, nowadays, it is also seen drooling to the tunes of providing pre-schooling to those toddlers whose parents believe in instilling learning at an early stage.

The prospect of the segment and the nuances of it in the education sector has been observed, chalked and reviewed by some of the experts in the industry, explores Bhawna Satsangi and Jessy Iype of Elets News Network (ENN)

Array Learning

into Young Minds

P

re-school, a child’s introduction to the world of knowledge plays a vital role in developing his future. Parents, being the guardians want the best for their wards and look out for a top pre-school, where they feel confident to send their kid to kick-start his learning.

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November 2015 / digitalLEARNING

Pre-schools that offer facilities and an interactive educator often set the stage for a child’s love of learning. So, pre-schools that generate feeling of confidence among the parents are often regarded as the best, which prepare the toddlers for quality learning in primary education.

“Pre-school educator/facilitator and

environment plays a significant role in a child’s first step to learning, which has a lifelong influence on the child’s future.

Indeed, it is not an easy task to run a pre-school, considering the responsibility to educate young minds. Maple Bear believes that when children enter school, they regard learning as a plea-

digitallearning.eletsonline.com

surable experience. Therefore, they are naturally inclined towards it and have an eagerness to learn. It is important for us that the programmes are reinforced and built on this positive attitude and to offer varied stimulating and enjoyable experiences to children,� says Hazel Siromoni, Managing Director, Maple Bear India. “The specific objective of pre-primary education is to provide all necessary care and education to young children for their development through physical, cognitive, linguistic, social and emotional growth. Pre-school is the time to develop the skills to prepare the students for formal education in class I. Students are provided opportunities to develop gross and fine motor skills, creativity, and so-

Surging upwards: The Indian Education Investment Report 2013, estimates that the number of preschools in India will reach the 33,000 mark by 2015 end, reporting a growth of 26 per cent annually cial skills in a fun filled ambience which is conducive to learning,� remarked Ratna D. Reddy, Founder Director, CHIREC. Hence, a strong pre-school pro-

gramme is the solid foundation on which a good education is laid and it is essential for a good schooling.

To quantify the burgeoning demand of the pre-school franchise, education franchise is overhauling with as many as public and private companies. Education sector being the fertile area of investment in India, the companies are keen on investing in the pre-school franchise business because India is expected to have a surplus of 47 million people in the working age group by 2020. There is a huge demand seen in the formal and informal education sector in the years to come.

Pre-school franchise is a booming business in India and parents too are willingly spending money to give the best of knowledge to their children. The segment is opening up plethora of opportunities for the pre-school franchise players which has turned out to be a wise business decision for them.

This also welcomes new educational concepts in the Indian market that become popular through franchising.

However, the sector is still unorganised, due to the reason of lack of quality education. The pre-school industry is underpenetrated and is less than 4 per cent of the total market potential as compared to the western world.

The studies have shown that the business of pre-schools is huge in India but it lacked standardised curriculum, quality and infrastructure. The domestic market is profitable and there is a major quality gap, therefore a huge scope exists in this business. The business is set to be low on investment and high on returns, with a break-even period within the first two years of operations.

With increasing nuclear families and working parents, pre-school day-care is a growing sector. Organised day-care activities with well planned schedules and operations with viewing facilities for parents is a unique feature that is being provided by the pre-schools.

Diverse Dynamics Pre-school market in India had tremendous growth in recent past and the future also seems productive. India being

digitalLEARNING / November 2015

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COVER STORY

Current Market Scenario l Market to grow approximately $1 billion by 2020, a 28 per cent annual growth l 100 million children are in the age group of 2-6 years old l Only 12 per cent of children between ages 2-5 are going to preschool in urban areas Organised Market (LHS - $ tn)

Total Market (LHS - $ tn)

% of preschool goers (RHS)

20

75

24

60

16

45

12

10

06

15

00

FY08

FY09E

FY10E

FY11E

FY12E

FY13E

FY14E

FY15E

00

Source: IDFC-SSKI Reseacrh

the second largest populated country in the world and with the highest number of youngsters makes it one of the potential markets for pre-school.

“Rise in disposable income, increasing working couples, working mothers, nuclear families, escalating demand for high quality pre-school education for

toddlers are other several reasons which are raising the demand for pre-schools,” feels Dharmesh Kapasi, President, Shanti Juniors.

According to the Crisil research report, the pre-school business is expected to touch Rs 13,300 crore by 2015-16, out of which branded pre-schools are ex-

pected to contribute about Rs 4,500 crore.

According to an estimate, this unorganised sector comprising of neighborhood pre-schools captures almost 75 per cent of the total market share. It is observed that the parents are inclined more towards the branded playschool for their child which is one of the major reasons for the rise in number of play school franchise in India.

The current industry size of the nonformal education system is `66.4 billion, as per Crisil report. They cater to children aged 1-6 and offer play group, nursery, junior kindergarten and senior kindergarten classes. According to global markets research Elara Capital, rising penetration rate, growing urbanisation and shift from fragmented unorganised sector to organised is expected to grow the pre-school market at a 26 per cent CAGR of over FY-13-18 to INR 13.2bn currently. Country’s total students catered by the organised pre-schools are set to reach 1.02 million from 0.35 million currently.

“Every individual understands the importance of education, and lately have also realised that a strong foundation is very important for a successful tomorrow. Pre-school where the build-

Counting Positives While opening a preschool there is high returns along with more possibility for growth and expansion. l A recession free business l Low Investment and high returns l Stress free, Cool and calm work environment l High degree of satisfaction The pre-school market has also seen some consolidation happen in the last few quarters. with some players exiting some ventures and others acquiring new companies in the segment. In March, Educomp Solutions completed the sale of its entire 50 per cent stake in Eurokids International Limited to a group of investors led by GPE India. The company had made a profit of `70

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crore on this investment, and the proceeds were used for its core business.

While some have been adopted franchisee model, others have emphasised on self-operated centres. Tree House had a net addition of 40 pre-schools in the third quarter of FY13 and the total number of centres as of December 31, 2012, were 349 across 38 cities. Out of this, the number of self-operated centres was 278.

According to a market study, it was expected that, the preschool market to reach $1,833 million by 2014, growing at a CAGR of around 13 per cent during 2011-2014.

Profit quotient for women entrepreneurs With rapidly growing preschool industry in India, leading chains are offering best of their business opportunities to women entrepreneurs to explore from.

Majority of the pre-school and daycare brands have 80 per cent of women as their franchisees and are doing exceptionally well in their fields. Industry experts also vouch for the fact that pre-school franchising is considered as the safest route for womenpreneurs.

Raman Bajaj, MD, Little MilleniumEducomp Childcare Pvt Ltd, says: “One of the benefits of running a preschool and early childcare centre

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Plays make learning more enjoyable ing blocks are laid have immense opportunities in the education market.

Though, competition has increased for the same but so has the demand of good pre-schools where a child enjoys coming and exploring the fun opportunities of learning varied things,” feels Anurag Vij, Director, The Chintels.

Children learn and grasp most at the age of 4. During this time they learn to assimilate, express interest and develop cognitive and emotional skills. Hence,

for any woman is that it requires a significantly lower seed capital than that of a formal K12 school.

Preschools also have a higher operating leverage as it provides multiple revenue streams from the same fixed cost base. Thus, running a preschool gives women entrepreneurs, an opportunity to pursue their passion and also earn high returns on their investment.”

With aplenty disposable income, busy schedule and the never-ending demand for quality education have created a humungous market for preschool and daycare centres in India. To cater to the untapped locations of tierII and III cities, many more indigenous and foreign pre-school chains are

pre-school play an important role in the overall development of a child’s cognitive skills and intelligence.

“The specific objective of pre-primary education is to provide all necessary care and education to young children for their development through physical, cognitive, linguistic, social and emotional growth. Pre-school is the time to develop the skills to prepare the students for formal education in class I. Students are provided opportunities to develop

mushrooming across India, offering opportunity to the women investors to show their professional side up.

If studies are to be believed, the pre-primary education sector is projected to fetch rich turnover in the time to come via the franchise route.

Leading players in the segment include EuroKids, Kidzee, Kangaroo Kids Education Limited (KKEL), Little Millennium- Educomp Solutions Ltd’s, SHEMROCK and SHEMFORD Group of Schools, Planet Kids, Sesame Street Preschool, Time Kids, Hello Kids, Bachpan- a playschool, Beehive and Maple Bear Education.

All of the brands have been successful via their diligent women franchisees pan-India.

gross and fine motor skills, creativity, and social skills in a fun filled ambience which is conducive to learning. Hence, a strong pre-school programme is the solid foundation on which a good education is laid and it is essential for a good schooling,” shares Reddy.

The pre-school revenue is expected to increase to $3.24bn by 2017 at a CAGR of 27.33 per cent from 2011 to 2017.

Investment Required With the growing demand of pre-school in India, franchise options are in plenty to open up a pre-school. Franchisee school guarantees that it will help secure the best play school franchise, so that one can reap the benefits of owning the pre-school franchise.

There are lots of variations involved in the cost depending upon the type of pre-school, city, area, etc. The basic criteria for starting a pre-school is research.

One needs to research on the amount of capital to be invested and the return on investment (ROI) that is expected from the project. It is also required to understand the terms and conditions of the pre-school brands and also understand the way they execute the establishment of the segment.

“For starting, a Maple Bear Canadian Pre-school, you need between `15-30 lakhs as initial investment. However, it varies depending on the type of the city and condition of the infrastructure

digitalLEARNING / November 2015

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COVER STORY

Overview of the Sector till 2012 Market Overview

l The market grew at an annual rate of 36 per cent till 2012 reaching USD 1 bn l Pre-schools are an urban trend with rapid proliferation seen in metros

Quality First

l About 11.5 per cent of urban children aged between 2-4 years are going to pre-school l The organised segment accounts for 17 per cent of the market l Pre-school is fast growing market and attracting engagement of private players l With low entry barriers and franchise business model, it is set to flourish in coming years

available,” tells Hazel Siromoni, Managing Director, Maple Bear.

“For setting up a pre-school you need to invest good amount of money depending on the scale at which you want to operate your pre-school. The investment would range between INR 8 Lakhs to INR 10 Lakhs depending upon the location and area chosen,” informs, Vittal Bhandary, Founder and Managing Director, Little Elly.

Other cost that is to be kept in mind before starting a pre-school is infrastructure and interiors as per the requirements of the brand, marketing and advertising cost, staff recruitment, training prior to the commencement of the school.

pre-school business provides complete support in starting their own business through franchise opportunity which offers 15 per cent ROI (return on investment) within the first year itself,” adds Bhandary.

One of the foremost advantages of starting a pre-school is satisfaction of providing strong foundation to kids. Having

Advantages Galore Starting a pre-school is one of the many profitable business options available today. Franchising can help you succeed in business with their franchise models, training, promotions, as well as support.

Pre-school business receives support of a corporate establishment with years of experience and gain excellent support services to set up, launch and operate a successful pre-school.

“The pre-school sector definitely has a low entry barrier. For people who always want to be a part of something bigger,

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November 2015 / digitalLEARNING

been an easy establish business, it involves limited legal permissions and the investment cost is very low. Once established, it is easier to manage than any other business and with the starting of a franchise model, it has become much easier for an entrepreneur to start a pre-school.

Pre-schooling explores artistic skills

The pre-schools that come up are managed by either private education institutes or NGOs and follows simple pre-school management techniques. They follow the mandatory requirements laid down by the education department of the state. However, there are a lot many amendments in the administration and management. Like the primary and high schools that have mandatory assessments and inspections, the pre-schools need to have such defined and scheduled checks.

The quality checks and assessments for Aerokids pre-schools are evaluated on the following parameters: Pre-school curriculum evaluation research: A high quality, standardised day wise preschool curriculum, which is flexible enough to be successfully administered to all states of India.

Facilities: The internal and extra facilities provided by the school are placed under a check. This includes the safety

digitallearning.eletsonline.com

Role of Government Vital Even though the country is embarking upon the concept of early childhood learning, the state governments too are ensuring to practice what is being preached.

Taking a cue from the central government’s policy on the early childhood, UNICEF sponsored studies and National Advisory Council reports, the Rajasthan government has initiated to draft and formulate a holistic policy for the development of a child and to check the mushrooming preschools in the state.

According to the policy, every Anganwadi or government sponsored childcare will be given a research kit which includes teaching learning material and no children would be subjected to admission test. The duration of programme or classroom period should not last more than 3-4 hours.

To make the learning interesting and attractive, the learning material would include toys and objects similar to the surroundings.

The document states that the ideal child ratio would be around 1:20 and it is necessary to use the mother tongue as primary language of interaction.

Other than enhancing learning capabilities, the policy also focuses on monitoring the health of every child. From protection from hazards, health care to taking care of nutrition all are part of the draft.

The state of Rajasthan has worst percentage of students out of preschool. The ASER report says that 37.3 per cent children in the age group of three years were not in any pre-school. and hygiene when it comes to stationery items, school equipment, toys, wash rooms, kitchen, food, travel and so on.

Assessment of teachers: Teaching

Learning rhymes through actions

For setting up a pre-school you need to invest good amount of money depending on the scale at which you want to operate your pre-school. The investment would range between `8 Lakhs to `10 Lakhs depending upon the location and area chosen.

Vittal Bhandary, Founder and Managing Director, Little Elly staff is recruited on basis of education and certification. Their performance in school also evaluated. This is the most crucial aspect.

Finances: The fee structure and any subsequent revisions are verified if exorbitant amounts are not charged from the parents in the name of various expense heads.

Other than the factors listed above, the quality checks which has some uniform parameters that will ensure a thorough check of the quality output are assured by Aerokids.

“As these are the most important and founding years of a child’s education tenure, quality pre-school plays a very important role. It is even proven scientifically that 75 per cent of child’s brain develops till the age of five, therefore pre-schools play a very important role in shaping the minds and future of India.

The early three years, parents will be the main influence in a child’s learning expe-

riences. What they do and expose their child to will have a vast impact on his/her developmental journey,” informs Kapasi.

“Early childhood development programme and curriculum should contain all opportunities for development of physical, cognitive, language, emotional and social domains with necessary learning activities. There should also be flexibility in the way these are applied allowing for individual differences to be accommodated,” says Reddy.

Enhancing Growth through Learning The expansion plan of the preschool sector in India looks positive and it is gaining momentum in terms of trend.

According Amisha Beri, Senior Vice President, Educomp Schools, there is a rising demand for pre-schools in smaller towns as well. “The drivers are growing middle class population, rising income

digitalLEARNING / November 2015

21

COVER STORY

Engaging through extra-curriculur activities make kids more confident levels and escalating demand for high quality education for toddlers. Rapid urbanisation and rise of nuclear families are the other factors that are fuelling the demand for branded pre-schools in Tier II and Tier III cities,” she says.

“The role of preschool in the education market is huge. This is because whatever is inculcated at this age is what the child will learn , not in terms of academics theoretically, but in terms of cognitive learning,” says Mona Singh, Vice President, Sesame Schoolhouse.

Stating that the preschool segment can reap in lucrative options, Dharmesh Kapasi, President, Shanti Juniors said: “There are huge opportunities in the preschool segment but there are challenges, which need to be carefully analysed and counter measures needs to be planned.

Pre-school being the most lucrative segment of the Indian education market, there are lot of young entrepreneurs who want to invest in this segment.”

“Franchising became a wonderful concept of expanding the idea in a planned and structured manner which is resulting in pre-school franchising. It’s catching up fast as a business model. We have a vision to become one of the largest pre-schools of India and based on the same we have set our Y-O-Y targets,” Kapasi added.

According to Reddy, CHIREC: “The

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The role of preschool in the education market is huge. This is because whatever is inculcated at this age is what the child will learn, not in terms of academics theoretically, but in terms of cognitive learning.

Mona Singh, Vice President, Sesame Schoolhouse pre-school segment seems to be most flourishing at this juncture. However, quality pre-schools which understand the science behind the learning process and the correlation with developmental stages, may be limited.”

The growth is also due to the factor that parents in the urban space are working and have no option but to leave their child in a preschool.

“The need is felt more in the major cities, but with more and more both parents working in the 2 and 3 tier cities, the need of good quality pre-schools with trained staff is the need of the hour,” said Reddy.

The growth prospect of this segment has only been increasing day by day.

“Growth in the pre-school segment is moving at a rapid pace. Opportunities in this field in terms of growth are immense. Our school at present has nearly 650 children. The way of expansion

what we are now looking forward to is through franchise model. Likewise, many pre-schools running across the country started with a single school and now have franchise throughout the country.

Parents look forward not only for a name but also in this competitive era they look for quality where the child learns in a play way,” said Vij, The Chintels.

Managing Director & Founder of Aerokids, Suganthi Arulmurugan informs that researches on preschool education have shown that children taught at an early age usually have improved social skills, fewer behavioral problems and better grades without special and attention.

“Self-confidence gained by learning in a playful manner adds to the personality development of the child.”

“Young children learn best when they have an opportunity to interact with their peers, and their parents and instructors treat them kindly. They bloom

COVER STORY well in a tension free environment. Besides they comprehend and learn things better if they are introduced to new things in small portions,” she added.

Imparting the Basics Sending a child to a pre-school, rather than teaching them the basics at home, is now being considered more effective by parents, even in Tier-3 and Tier-4 towns. This is the market which the preschool segment players are looking to tap in this fiscal.

“Whatever one inculcates at this age is what the children learn in the real sense. These will include being imaginative or communicative, it is the exposure that makes the child confident and not restricts his thinking. In India it is difficult to explore as we think in one track, where we have constraint a child’s mind, killing child’s thinking power and this is why children cannot think critically. We tell him to learn an answer of a particular question and the teachers too teach in similar manner.

The education here is marks driven,” says Singh.

The learning imparted in the preschool curriculum should very well ensure that the teaching is for a holistic development of the child for his future quest for knowledge.

Learning early; studying during innocence Vij feels:“Pre-school act as a potter to the argil. Researches have shown that how early childhood learning is embodied in the child’s mind can change its architecture. Early lessons definitely leaves lasting impressions and visionaries do begin at the age of two. 80 per cent of a child’s brain develops during the age of 2-5 years.”

Stating that each step towards learning is vital, he says, “These pre-school years give a foundation to the future

Rise in disposable income, increasing working couples, working mothers, nuclear families, escalating demand for high quality pre-school education for toddlers are other several reasons which are raising the demand for pre-schools.

Dharmesh Kapasi, President, Shanti Juniors D Reddy, CHIREC says: “Early childhood development programme and curriculum should contain all opportunities for development of physical, cognitive, language, emotional and social domains with necessary learning activities. There should also be flexibility in the way these are applied allowing for individual differences to be accommodated.”

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November 2015 / digitalLEARNING

learning. In some countries of the world in pre-school it is judged that where or which field a child is most interested in and then the child is trained in that specific field as well.”

“Lessons of life- like sharing and caring are taught at a very early age so that the child when grows up continues to share his things. Right from holding

the grip of a pencil to scribbling with a crayon, drawing the first standing and the sleeping line to the first fancy dress competition, listening to fairy tales and mythological tale, every little bit is embibed in a child’s brain which keeps on developing and as we know that the tallest building has strongest foundation,” Vij added.

The child’s ability to learn and grow is unique and special, says Bhandary, Little Elly. “Our teachers ensure that each and every child get proper guidance to grow, in a mutually accepting and nurturing environment.”

“Our concept rooms make the children’s transition smooth, hassle-free and provide an environment that jump-start their developmental process, to acquire knowledge and understanding of various concepts through creative learning and play. Our programmes help children develop their latent creative, language and math skills through the Rudolf Steiner and Montessori Method,” he said.

A market study also indicated that the share of organised players to increase to 34 per cent by FY16 from 11 per cent in FY10 with the rising awareness about quality pre-school education, big expansion plans of existing players and the entry of more organised players in the pre-school segment.

INDUSTRY SPEAK

digitallearning.eletsonline.com

Future of e-Learning

Ashutosh Kumar

In this rapidly digitising world, technology is changing the way education is imparted. e-Learning is now replacing the traditional vistas of education. Ashutosh Kumar, CEO, Testbook.com, briefs Elets News Network (ENN) about the importance of e-learning, its existing challenges & solutions and how it can change the future of learning

What is e-learning? e-Learning is the natural culmination of education in a rapidly digitising world.

When you have an app for everything, why not for learning? e-Learning seeks to address all the shortcomings of traditional education through digital means.

Existing Challenges One of the biggest challenges faced by students, in the course of their education from school to university, is poor teacher-student ratio. And this ratio has all but taken the personal touch out of the learning system. Guidance isn’t personal or adequate to match the varying requirements of each student.

In the traditional testing system, every student becomes another name on a paper. He is judged simply by his marks in a particular exam. A teacher cannot glance back to see his performance, over, say, the last 15 tests. However, the questions arise: How is a teacher supposed to effectively mentor the students into a good plan of action? Is it even possible

to achieve extensive and sustainable student profiling through offline data collection and processing?

Existing Solutions Personal Tutors: Personal tutors have long been the stand-in for this missing personalisation in the education system.

High cost and scarcity of experienced tutors, however, mean that this isn’t an option for everyone.

Videos: Videos can solve the problem of accessibility and high costs. But they are the biggest offenders on ‘personalisation’ scale. Monotonous and uninterruptible, these lectures often become one-way speeches delivered in virtual classrooms.

Adaptive Testing: This was the first step in bringing personalisation in learning. But it covers only one of the four pillars of learning, i.e. practice.

This technology allows students to practice one question at a time as the system gauges their proficiency. This ensures that students learn at their

own pace while maintaining interest and boosting confidence. The computer also acts as an impartial judge in grading students among their intellectual peers.

Future Solutions Learning has four components - study of concepts, practice, testing, and mentoring, to guide students forward. The time has come to integrate all four elements on a computer console vis-a-vis intelligent models to solve the three major problems that exist in the learning system: l Personalisation l Inaccessibility l High cost There is need for an education platform that can do more than just provide adaptive practice. Bringing all the four elements of learning together can help in creating a complete, holistic and omnipotent teaching system. Real-world implementation is, however, faced with many technical challenges. When successful, it will lead to a computer-driven system that will be the smartest personal tutor - one who is accessible from anywhere, anytime; one who understands, analyses, grooms and teaches you at a scientifically formulated pace.

The success of this model depends on how much data the early entrants in elearning space can collect. The EdTech companies looking to compete and innovate rapidly will soon be able to deliver such technologies to the masses at non-prohibitive costs. No doubt though that pioneers in the field will make for the most trustworthy names.

Visionaries Knewton.com took the early lead in building an adaptive platform. The New York based company allows schools to provide adaptive learning for their students. The Indian e-learning space is yet to catch up.

However, startups, like Testbook.com, are working hard to bring this innovation to the billion-strong country.

digitalLEARNING / November 2015

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INDUSTRY SPEAK

digitallearning.eletsonline.com

Learn Anywhere, Anytime For Free Known for providing world class education, Amity University is now looking forward to spread the importance of education through MOOCs amongst self motivated individuals who want to learn new skills and advance their careers, without dropping commitment to their job or family.

Ajit Chauhan, Vice Chairman, Amity Online Education tells Elets News Network (ENN) about their MOOCs initiative, its benefits and future programmes

Tie-ups with other Institutions Notifying on the tie-ups with other institutions, Ajit says, “This is Amity’s

Ajit Chauhan

W

ith the objective to provide tuition-free career-oriented degree and certificate courses through online mode of access, Amity has launched MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) platform last month. It gives tuition free degree programmes and shortterm certificate courses, which can be accessed by anyone, anytime and anywhere.

The degree course includes a 3-year Bachelor of Arts programme whereas certificate courses include business language and communication, marketing management, web designing, fundamentals of e-commerce, social media marketing, digital marketing and many more.

Briefing on the initiative, Ajit Chauhan, Vice Chairman, Amity Online Education says, “Our Founder President, Dr Ashok Chauhan’s mission is nation building through value education and beyond. In this advanced technological era, we commit to fulfill this vision by taking a giant leap with ‘Tuition Free Education’ through Amity MOOCs. It will be great achievement for us if we can touch the people and change their lives through the MOOCs platform at no cost at all.”

He adds, “Since its launch last month, we have 30000 students registered under the MOOCs platform and it is gaining momentum.”

in-house programme. But we are tying up with various organisations in the UK and the US, to launch their courses through our platform. We are also in talks with several universities who are interested in engaging Indian students through Amity’s MOOCs platform.”

He further says, “Though we have an in-house faculty, we are also engaging industry people and subject matter experts to develop courses in various fields, data analytics, web designing, science subjects etc.”

Cost Effective Higher Education Courses through MOOCs offer cost effective way to acquire quality higher education. “We are already offering courses

through distance and online education, which are separate from full time education. Since MOOCs also comes under this umbrella, it is a way of reaching people of all walks of life in remotest areas of country and that too tuition free,” states Ajit.

He adds, “The programmes available online are much cheaper than the full time. Although MOOCs programme involves a cost but it is paid only when someone go for assessment, tuition is absolutely free. It is like pay as you go model.”

Similar to Online & Distance but Different MOOCs is also online but it is different.

The parameters that distinguish MOOCs platform: Engaging Students: Engaging the students in a way that they are tempted to ask question, and do research. Thus, this motivates the students through engagement.

Future Programmes Besides higher education, Amity is focussing on expanding the MOOCs programmes by offering courses for other verticals also. Ajit informs, “Currently, we have higher education courses in MOOCs but we are also developing courses for K12 segment. For this, a different product named Amity K12 is coming up, which will be launched next year. In addition, we are also coming with certificate courses for teachers training, which would be launched in the next few months.”

digitalLEARNING / November 2015

27

DELIVERING PRE-SCHOOLS

Targeting the early childhood education sector, Dharmesh Kapasi, President, Shanti Juniors started this pre-school with a vision to nurture holistic development of a child. With the concerted efforts to provide qualified team of teachers, Shanti Juniors has expanded to 200 pre-schools pan India in just five years of its running What was the rationale behind venturing into the pre-school segment?

Shanti Juniors pre-school is an initiative started by Chiripal Group, (a Gujarat based `4000 crore conglomerate) started with a clear objective of working towards the welfare of the society. Targeting the early childhood education sector, they believed that this is being the most unorganised segment of education with minimal guidance from the central or state government and also absence of quality education at the founding years of a child.

We felt, there is a correction needed there.

The whole idea and objective of starting Shanti Juniors was to contribute towards nurturing holistic development of a child along with the celebration of childhood in the pre-primary sector of education. Our journey had started in the year 2010 gradually by setting up a team of highly qualified development and research team. This team launched six pre-schools together in Ahmedabad. Today, it has franchised more than 200 successful preschools across India.

How do you perceive the preschool market in the country?

Pre-school market in India had tremen-

Enjoying learning together at Shanti Juniors

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dous growth in recent past and the future also seems productive. India being the second largest populated country in the world and with the highest number of youngsters makes it one of the potential markets for pre-school.

Rise in disposable income, increasing working couples, working mothers, nuclear families, escalating demand for high quality pre-school education for toddlers are other several reasons which are raising the demand for pre-schools.

What are the growth opportunities that you foresee in this segment in the future?

There are huge opportunities in the preschool segment but there are challenges, which need to be carefully analysed and counter measures needs to be planned.

Pre-school being the most lucrative segment of the Indian education market, there are lot of young entrepreneurs who want to invest in this segment.

Hence, franchising became a wonderful concept of expanding the idea in a planned and structured manner which is resulting in pre-school franchising. It’s catching up fast as a business model. We have a vision to become one of the largest pre-schools of India

Dharmesh Kapasi

Fostering Early Years

and based on the same we have set our Y-O-Y targets.

What role does quality pre-school education play in shaping the minds of the students?

As these are the most important and founding years of a child’s education tenure, quality pre-school plays a very important role. It is even proven scientifically that 75 per cent of child’s brain develops till the age of five, therefore, pre-schools play a very important role in shaping the minds and future of India.

The early three years, parents will be the main influence in a child’s learning experiences. What they do and expose their child to will have a vast impact on his/ her developmental journey.

What is the lacuna, as per you, in the pre-school segment in the country? How can it be rectified?

The industry in India falls divided between the organised and unorganised sector. Recruitment of under qualified and in-experienced academicians is the challenge.

There is a challenge of safety of children, because of non-regulation or absence of governing body in this segment.

As there is no guidance from the government in terms of curriculum or academics for the early childhood education, the local pre-schools take the advantage of the system as they do not have the strength or capacity to invest on the research and development of the early childhood programmes.

DELIVERING PRE-SCHOOLS

Making Learning Fun Pre-school Franchise Maple Bear Year of Inception 2004 Name of Managing Director Hazel Siromoni Email: hazel.siromoni@maplebear.in Phone: 9811213009

Head Office: Maple Bear Global Schools Ltd,Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver Canada No. of Franchisees: 73 Contact Details for Franchise enquiry: gaurav.sharma@maplebear.in bikash.pandey@maplebear.in

Genesis of the Company

Background of the Group

Hazel Siromoni

32

I

n April 2011 Maple Bear in India entered into a joint venture with Modi Edutech.

The promoters of Modi Edutech and Maple Bear form part of a leading Modi Group in India with Alok Modi as the Chairman of Maple Bear in India and the region. The group, which shares the vision of its founder Rai Bahadur Gujarmal Modi, has always believed that education is significant and integral to India’s development. In the 80 years of its existence, the Modi group has promoted several educational institutions including playschools, schools from Kindergarten to standard XII, post secondary and vocational education centres.

M

aple Bear was born in 2004 with its first few pre-schools starting its operations in 2005.The Maple Bear Education System was developed by Maple Bear Global Schools Ltd, Canada with the purpose of bringing Canadian early learning programmes to children around the world. The programmes were designed by Canadian experts, and are being regularly upgraded to ensure that the Maple Bear Education System reflects the very best in early childhood education.

November 2015 / digitalLEARNING

Educational and Professional Background of Managing Director Hazel Siromoni has a rich educational background. She has earned a degree in Clinical Psychology and over 20 years of experience in education sector. She has also got a rich experience of 17 years in Canadian education space. She was the head of The Canadian Education Centre in India, which was set up with the support of the Government of Canada. Currently, Siromoni is the Managing Director of Maple Bear India, a Canadian early childhood education and elementary programme to showcase Canadian Education strengths.

In February 2014, she has received the Governor General of Canada Gold Medallion for the contribution towards promotion of Canadian Education in India.

The Best of Canadian Education The Best of Canadian Education for for a a brighter brighter India India A leading International Preschool chain, Maple Bear offers the finest education by A leading International Preschool chain, Maple Bear offers the finest education by bringing the very best of Canadian early childhood and elementary school programs to bringing the very best of Canadian early childhood and elementary school programs to India. Ranked as one the ‘best’, as per the PISA survey, the Canadian education system India. Ranked as one the ‘best’, as per the PISA survey, the Canadian education system has created benchmarks when it comes to student performance and educational has created benchmarks when it comes to student performance and educational standards. Our comprehensive curriculum based on international standards is designed standards. Our comprehensive curriculum based on international standards is designed

by Canadian experts and are regularly upgraded. Our well-qualified faculty is trained

by Canadian experts and are regularly upgraded. Our well-qualified faculty is trained extensively to ensure quality education practices are followed in the classrooms. extensively to ensure quality education practices are followed in the classrooms.

So, Join the Maple Bear Family Today!

So, Join the Maple Bear Family Today!

FOR FRANCHISE ENQUIRY CONTACT: FOR FRANCHISE ENQUIRY CONTACT: +91- 8882088218, 9599036573 | info@maplebear.in +91- 8882088218, 9599036573 | info@maplebear.in /MapleBearSchoolsIndia /MapleBearSchoolsIndia

DELIVERING PRE-SCHOOLS

USP l Child-focussed system in order to bring Canadian early childhood, elementary, and high school education to students around the world l Global Brand Positioning l International Curriculum l 24*7 Dedicated Support Team l Easy Interschool transfer Globally l Referral Programmes for Existing Franchisees

NEW EDUCATION VERTICALS Present Presence & Expansion Programme Currently with 73 franchisees in pre-school and elementary space covering more than 25 cities. We expect to grow to 100 plus in 2016 and to more than 300+ within next 3-4 years.

Area: 3000 - 4000 square feet (carpet area) Investment: `15-20 Lakhs Deliverables for the Franchise owner Advantages l Globally Recognised l Internationally Acclaimed and Designed Curriculum l Efficient Aid and Support by Team l Smooth Global Interschool Transfers l Referrals about Existing Franchisees l Multi-Dimensional Support Mechanism Setting up a Branch l Site visits l Advice regarding the selection of site l Aid by vendors l Elaborate Training Recruitment Advantages l The Headmistress, counselors,

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November 2015 / digitalLEARNING

teachers etc. will be recruited with special assistance l Complete and transparent HR policies are guaranteed for hassle- free operations Training Strategies l Training, academic or otherwise, will be provided at the beginning. l Observation and coaching on site will be carried out; online aid may be provided on demand l Access to the imperative workshop carried out by a Canadian professional, will be given, which will be held locally on an annual basis l Advice will be provided on operational procedures and updated policies l Support will be provided throughout the year by resident director and designated team l Parents’ workshops will be held Branding And Marketing: The Basics l The right to use the brand in compliance with the regulations of the corporate identity guide l Online campaigns and e-Marketing l Guidelines for marketing and brand collateral already in place

l Social Media awareness and marketing through monthly E-newsletter ‘Bear Talk’ l Designs for leaflets, pamphlets, posters, invites etc. available l Aid in media and print management and merchandising ideas l Aid in event planning (annual functions etc) IT Support l Free designs for websites, updating, mapping and related functions l Free creation and maintenance of email account l Free maintenance of social media accounts and portals Round-The-Clock Support l Frequent visits to branch. l Efficient team to address all queries l Frequent audio and video conferencing Academic Support l Access to syllabus designed by Canadian professionals l Access to centralised curriculum followed by all Maple Bear Schools around the globe l Intricate and detailed academic calendar

By partnering with Little Elly, you'll not only make a smart investment, but you'll also be investing in the nation's future.

Little Elly integrates creativity and academic development that encourages curiosity and joy of learning in your child.

80 centers across Bangalore

120+ centers across India Collaboration with Glen Tree U.K. More than a decade of experience in managing pre-schools

Admission Open for Playgroup Nursery Kindergarten Daycare

For Franchisee Enquiries contact: 09900064613 Corporate Office: Learning Edge India Pvt. Ltd. No.2, Honeydew Mansion, Near BDA Complex, HSR Layout, Sector VII, Bangalore 560102 Bengaluru | Hyderabad | Chennai | Pune | Surat | Mangalore | Coimbatore | Hosur | Kadapa | Mysore | Bhopal | Navi Mumbai | Baruch

DELIVERING PRE-SCHOOLS

Bringing Positive Change Background of the Group The Little Elly Play school was established in the year 2004, when Global Learning System Private Limited, who are into the field of publishing Children’s Books for over 25 years and marketing the world’s Best Educational Aids, ventured into the preschool business in India and partnered with Salmiya playschool, developing a learning programme that was suitable to Indian learning needs. August 2005, saw the collaboration with Glen Tree UK for providing technical and curriculum inputs and support.

To have a larger presence in the preschool space, and to provide a greater thrust in reaching out to the community, the founders formed a new company M/s Learning Edge India Private Limited, to take over the preschool business from M/s Global Learning System Private Limited.

Genesis of the Company Little Elly is a pioneering initiative of Learning Edge India Pvt Ltd who, in association with Glen Tree, UK (frontrunners in serving kid’s education needs since the last decade) follow the system of teaching kids in a relaxed, playful setup, where children learn without actually being aware of the teaching process.

From a single Preschool set-up in BTM Layout in 2008, the Little Elly Group of Institutions which comprise Franchisees and Training Centres, are spread all over the country, providing individualised and well researched learning methods to aid in the overall development of a child.

At Little Elly, our strong belief lies in the fact that the childhood is meant to be

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Vittal Bhandary Preschool Franchise Little Elly Year of Inception 2004 Name of Managing Director/ Founder/Chairman Vittal Bhandary Email vb@littleelly.com Phone +91-9900083813 Head Office Learning Edge India Pvt Ltd No 2, Honeydew Mansion, Above Pizza Hut Near BDA Complex HSR Layout, Sector VII Bangalore, Karnataka - 560102 India No. of Franchisees 120 Contact Details for Franchise Enquiry Phone: +91 9900064613 Email: franchise@littleelly.com

enjoyed and cherished. At the same time, incredible growth and learning takes place during this period, a crucial fact backed by numerous studies and well established by considerable research. Since the first five years of a child are the most formative and the vital mental and cognitive growth happens during this period, children have the capacity to imbibe and flourish at an incredible pace. This well-rounded development is essential to every child, even though their uniqueness means that each of them have their own pace to learn important skills.

At Little Elly, our constant endeavour is to make your child’s initial formative years memorable, by acting as a support system that will shoulder the responsibility with parents in making their wards develop a genuine love for learning.

Educational and Professional Background of Managing Director/Founder/Chairman Vittal Bhandary has 25 years of rich experience with single-minded focus, in leading an accomplished team of professionals, in developing an organisation whose prime focus is early childhood care and successful diversification of the business, and into the areas of children’s publications, learning aids, pedagogy support, early schooling, day-care and corporate affiliate programs.

USP of the Group Little Elly provides a nurturing and stimulating environment responsive to the changing needs of children, parents, faculty, staff and the neighbourhood.

The school’s Early Learning programme

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provides something unique for each age group, with a multitude of activities and experiences encouraging children’s natural curiosity and sense of learning.

In Little Elly, we instill and encourage passion in teachers because building relationships with the children and teachers has allowed us to continuously improve ourselves and influence a positive change in the school culture.

Little Elly Approach Little Elly is built around a strong belief that childhood of our little ones is precious, and is meant to be enjoyed and cherished. Our approach is: l Ensuring that the child cultivates a lifelong love of learning l Building a sense of confidence and strong life-skills l Encouraging and supporting social and communication skills l Developing a lasting love of reading and writing l Focused, thematic activities and learning for developing key academic skills l Using creativity and play to develop social skills and build self-esteem l Developing strong reading and writing for seamless transition to higher academic roles

Little Elly Curriculum Key areas covered under Little Elly curriculum: l Learning by play and exploration l Building communication and social skills l Encouraging positive peer interaction l Theme based learning l Equipped with mathematical concepts l Equipped with language skills l Fine and gross motor coordination skills l Cognitive development promotion l Structured thematic learning and knowledge based activities l Learning with art, music and play l Building complex communication and social skills l Encouraging positive peer interaction l Understanding of mathematical concepts

l Grasping complex language skills l Enhanced fine and Gross motor coor-

dination skills

Teaching and Learning Preschool curriculum framework is designed for continuous school guidance and support. To engage the young learners, teachers should be committed to their own learning and know how to go about it. Presently, teaching-learning methods have transformed immensely in preschools with innovative teaching strategies and technology enhanced learning.

Little Elly programme provides something special for each age group with multitude of activities and experiences, encouraging children’s natural curiosity and sense of learning. In choosing a learning experience for a child, knowing what’s age-appropriate, our teachers are sensitive to every child’s needs. They observe and understand each child’s ability to grasp skills and facilitate the learning process accordingly.

At Little Elly, we provide career opportunities to people who are ready to impart knowledge and educate the new generation through our Initial Teachers Training (ITT) Programme.

The eligibility criteria for our teachers is the commitment to and excellence in their work and involvement in the children’s overall welfare. They should be able to contribute to the fundamental building blocks and build parent communication and their personal growth as well.

New Education Verticals Present Presence & Expansion Programme

Today, Little Elly is present in 6 states with 120+ centres, 6500 students, wellqualified faculty and excellent facilities crafted around the needs and skill sets of these children, giving them a stimulating environment that combines learning and play. We are aiming 30 more centres for this year.

Required area: 2500 sq. feet Total Investment: 8 -10 lakhs Deliverables for the Franchise Owner Little Elly’s dedication in helping our franchisee is second to none.

As a Little Elly owner, you will have a rewarding and challenging career where you’ll see the results of your caring and creative efforts every day.

In the beginning, they will work with a team who will lend their expertise in areas such as real estate, marketing, education, operations, and accounting.

Franchise Support l Assistance in survey, study and site

selection l Assistance in interiors and layout l Assistance in supply of teaching aids, toys and equipment l Assistance in recruiting and training staff l Extensive franchise, curriculum and teacher training l Parents Orientation Programme (POP) l Structured curriculum and ongoing support l Marketing support l Ongoing operational support l Research and development.

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DELIVERING PRE-SCHOOLS

Feasible Franchising Pre-School Franchise Aerokids Year of Inception 2012 Name of Managing Director/ Founder Suganthi Arulmurugan, Founder & MD Email: info@aerokidsindia.com Phone: 8056387465

Head Office: 33A, Thendral Nagar, 33A, Thanthoni Karur, India No. of Franchisees: 40 Contact Details for Franchise enquiry: Thomas Y +91 8861681736 (Bangalore & North India) Suganthi P +91 8056387465 (Tamilnadu)

Background of the Group

Educational and Professional background of Managing Director/ Founder/Chairman:

Suganthi Arulmurugan

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ertified on Master of Computer Application by Anna University, Chennai.

Suganthi Arulmurugan cofounded Aerokids in 2012.

She has hands on experience in running and operating a pre-school and setting up processes for Aerokids. Prior to founding Aerokids. She has worked for multiple years with leading corporate like Infosys at leadership position.

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erokids Pre-school is a venture of Aerokids Education Private Limited.

Aero Kids was incorporated under the Indian companies act, 1956, the latest educational initiative from CHRDT (Centre for Human Resource Development Trust), one of the leading non-profit educational organisations in Tamil Nadu who also made substantial contribution to the cause of the under privileged children in the state specifically in the domain of education. The group has been present in India since 1999, through its welfare activities.

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Genesis of the Company Aerokids is a chain of pre-schools, incorporated in the month of August 2012. It is a Karur’s based organisation, hence we established franchisees initially in Karur and gradually expanded all over South. Today we have 40+ franchisees pan India.

At Aerokids we aim to provide a creative environment, which is both stimulating and challenging. Children learn best through doing and we give ample opportunities to explore experiment and discover with hands-on equipment and materials in an adult directed setting. l August 2012, Foundation And Start of company owned pre-school at Karur l January 2013, Started the Franchising of Pre-schools l October 2013, 9 franchisee pre-schools across India l April 2014, 24 franchisee pre-schools across India l January 2015, 29 franchisee pre-schools across India l October 2015, 40 franchisee pre-schools across India

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DELIVERING PRE-SCHOOLS

USP l No Royalty l Low Investment franchise l Complete exposure to our training methodology and curriculum l Running successfully across 40+ centres l Creative team l Attractive themes & brand mascot to help children learn with fun l Attractive child-friendly environment

NEW EDUCATION VERTICALS Present Presence & Expansion Programme AeroKids is a popular pre-school especially in Southern part of India and already 40 + branches are running successfully in Bangalore, Chennai, Madurai, Sattur, Salem, Karur, Vellore, Coimbatore, Erode, Tumkur, Pune, Navi Mumbai, Jammu, Varanasi, Bhopal, Baikunthpur, Belgaum, Chinthamani, Patna, Dindigul and Sivagangai.

We run on no royalty model and after initial investment which is itself very low and no royalty is paid at any time.

Entire market is open for Aerokids franchise and the scope of expansion is too high and one can even get a State Master franchise of Aerokids play school with minimum cost without any royalty.

Aerokids play school franchise provides different packages of

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investment depending on the support system you require.

Area and Investment required by the Investor The total investment for starting AeroKids pre-school is about 3.5 to to 5.5 lakhs INR. The premise size for Aerokids franchise should be a minimum of 1000 sq ft. An area of 1000 to 3000 square feet is preferred. The area must be on the ground floor in a residential building. Existing nursery school sites will do. However, since it

is a pre-school where children will come to have their future minds and bodies built, a pollution-free location with an open playground is going to be ideal. The environment should be calm with proper ventilation and attached wash room.

Deliverables for the Franchise Owner Aero kids Pre-school Investment Includes: l Franchise fee for 3 years l Initial training for the franchisee l Curriculum and syllabi l Franchise kit l Furniture for the children l Cost for decorating the school l Outdoor play equipment l Educational toys l Cushion vinyl flooring l Cost of advertising and printing stationeries l Wall art painting or Printed foam board l Office use material l Operating Manual l Please note that the investment does not include tax

DELIVERING PRE-SCHOOLS

Promoting Entrepreneurial Venture Pre-School Franchise: Jain Toddlers - an international play school Year of Inception: 2007 Name of Managing Director: Chandrashekar D P Email: coojgi@gmail.com Phone: 9949488181 Head Office: Jain Heritage School

Sy No 187, Botanical Garden Road, Kondapur, Hyderabad, Telangana 500084, India No. of Franchise: 15 Contact Details for Franchise enquiry: Sudha Kolluru Franchisee Development Manager, +91 8501988881

Genesis of the Company

Background of the Group

Chandrashekar D P

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GI Group is an education provider and an entrepreneurship incubator in India. The Group successfully operates 85 educational institutions with 51,600 students and 6,450 employees engaged at the K-12, undergraduate and postgraduate levels spread across 64 campuses pan India. A leader in the education sector and a pioneer in the venture sector, JGI Group is constantly in search of new opportunities to expand its horizon.

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reating educational opportunities and promoting entrepreneurial ventures. Jain Toddler’s has been granted international affiliation based on the standards of its environment, curriculum, learning resources and faculty. The school’s team comprises a group of experienced and passionate early childhood practitioners with extensive training by international instructors in all areas of child development.

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Our Mission To provide quality education from cradle to career thereby creating human assets.

To fuel economic growth by developing new generation entrepreneurs.

To create a globally networked community of leaders, technocrats, scientists and sportsmen.

Jain Toddler’s has been granted international affiliation based on the standards of its environment, curriculum, learning resources and faculty. The school’s team comprises a group of experienced and passionate early childhood practitioners with extensive training by international instructors in all areas of child development.

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USP Creating educational opportunities and promoting entrepreneurial ventures.

Our child centric curriculum ‘PEARL’ (Play, Engage, Activity, Reflect, Learn) helps us to focus on personal care, parent’s involvement, besides traditions and values. We believe in holistic development with nutritious food and structured sports.

ABOUT US Founded as an educational institute in the early 1990s, JGI Group revamped the prevalent methods of education and focused on innovation and entrepreneurship. It created ripples in the educational sector and enabled JGI Group to establish itself as one of the leaders in the education sector.

Jain University, Jain Colleges, Jain Heritage Schools, Jain

International Residential School, Jain International Schools, Jain Public Schools, and Jain Toddlers stand testimony to the vision and commitment of JGI Group towards educational excellence. Education combined with entrepreneurship is the stated aim of JGI Group.

The organisation encompasses an enthusiastic team of business and financial experts who help in the development and growth of

nascent enterprises. Several startup enterprises have established their businesses through JGI’s entrepreneurial vision. More than 100 entrepreneurs and 50 ventures from various domains like IT, Financial Services, Home Decor, Hospitality, Music, Education, and Engineering were incubated by JGI’s entrepreneurial wings so far.

Moving forward, the JGI Group will continue to innovate, evolve, and challenge the dynamic realms of education and entrepreneurship.

Educational and Professional background of Managing Director: Ph.D (Education) & IIM, L Alumnus Expansion Plan 50 locations by 2016 Area and Investment required by the Investor 2500 sft, 10-12 Lakhs Deliverables for the Franchise Owner l Academic Support (Academic Audits, Regular Orientation & training of teacher) l Operations Support (Property Search, Entire School set up, Transfer Know-How) l Financial Support (Planning your investment, Budgeting,etc) l Marketing Support (Marketing Know-How, Event planning,etc

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PRE-SCHOOL LEARNING What was the rationale behind venturing into the pre-school segment?

‘Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege than the raising of next generation’.

One of the most beautiful sight I have been seeing every morning from past 25 years now is when the child enters the school gate with a big smile, wish good morning and many of them hug me tight.

The child who joins the Chintels school is no more only the parent’s ward he is our child. My love for children and the smile that these little wonders bring to my face is what pushed me towards opening my own venture in the year 1988 after serving as a principal in a pre-school. With belief in God and trust in my abilities I ventured into this segment and now The Chintels School is counted as one of the finest schools.

How does an established pre-school help in the growth of the child in K-12 segment?

‘I am a little star, shining bright.

Growing bigger every night When I finish pre-school, I will shout I am a STAR; So you just watch out.’

This I read recently and thought this is what my each child becomes when he graduates to the primary section- a star.

And we try our level best that the gleam of this star continues to shine not only during his school but throughout his life. Each child who comes through the Chintels preschool door joins a community of children, families and teachers engaged in the joy, work and wonder of childhood. If a child enrolls in pre-school the bond of proximity is knit right from the early years not only with the child but also a strong association is built between the school and the guardians and vice-versa. This results in better grooming of the child in all spheres.

How do you perceive the pre-school market in the country?

‘Anything you do with full heart and full belief is sure to become a success’Every individual understands the importance of education, and lately have also realised that a strong foundation is very important for a successful tomorrow.

Pre-school where the building blocks

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A Joy to Learn Anurag Vij, Director, The Chintels, says that the early years of learning helps in making a bond of proximity not only between the child and the school but also makes a strong association between the school and the guardians

Anurag Vij are laid have immense opportunities in the education market. Though, competition has increased for the same but so has the demand of good pre-schools where a child enjoys coming and exploring the fun opportunities of learning varied things.

What are the growth opportunities that you foresee in this segment in the future?

‘There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.’ Growth in the pre-school segment is moving at a rapid pace. Opportunities in this field in terms of growth are immense. Our school at present has nearly 650 children. The way of expansion what we are now looking forward to is through franchise. Likewise, many pre-schools running across the country started with a single school and now have franchise throughout the country.

Parents look forward not only for a name but also in this competitive era they look for quality where the child learns in a play way.

What role does quality pre-school education play in shaping the minds of the students?

Pre-school acts as a potter to the argil.

Researches have shown that how early childhood learning is embodied in the

child’s mind can change its architecture.

Early lessons definitely leave lasting impressions and visionaries do begin at the age of two. 80 per cent of a child’s brain develops during the age of 2-5 years.

These pre-school years give a foundation to the future learning. In some countries of the world in pre-school it is judged that where or which field a child is most interested in and then the child is trained in that specific field as well. Lessons of life- like sharing and caring are taught at a very early age so that the child when grows up continues to share his things.

Right from holding the grip of a pencil to scribbling with a crayon, drawing the first standing and the sleeping line to the first fancy dress competition, listening to fairy tales and mythological tale, every little bit is embibed in a child’s brain which keeps on developing and as we know that the tallest building has strongest foundation.

What are the lacunas, as per you, in the pre-school segment in the country? How can they be rectified?

‘No matter how perfect a thing looks, if you look deep it will have a mark’. As the scope of pre-school education is gaining importance lot of pre- schools are opening up without a proper knowledge. Pre-schooling is quite beyond ABCs and 123s. Sometimes children are restricted to just the four walls of classrooms and the journey of rote learning begins right from childhood, which is quite a sad stage. Children are not made to explore rather it is like what pre-school education should not be ‘filling up of pail’.

There should be a team of board which can provide certain guidelines on how to teach children in a playful manner. The head of the institute should take care that the child is not under pressure of any kind. Pre-schooling should be all about learning while having fun.

K-12 PRE-SCHOOL

Making Foundation Strong What was the rationale behind venturing into the pre-school segment?

It was always my desire to open a preschool since the time I did my Masters in Early Childhood Education from University of Iowa. During my assistantship in teaching in the US, I was struck with the stark difference between teaching in the US and India. There was hands on experiential learning, holistic way of learning and student centric education in the US. This was the gap that I saw in Indian education system and when I returned to India, I decided to put my learning to practice and set up a pre-school. Before start of the academic year, I set up a summer camp which offered total personality development of children, targeting the physical, social and creative development. It was an instant hit and the novel concept started by me 27 years ago was the start of the New Age schooling prevalent in Hyderabad presently.

How does an established pre-school presence help in the growth of the K-12 segment?

CHIREC has been established on The Whole Child Philosophy by Feeney, Stephanie, Christen Doris and Eva Moravick.

Parents who decide to admit their children do so because they like the idea. In our school, the approach is towards collaborative and problem solving based learning. This is totally in alignment with the development of 21st Century Skills of 4 Cs – Collaboration, Creativity, Communication and Critical thinking.

We, at CHIREC, incorporate these

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Emphasising on the enquiry and development of critical thinking, social skills through collaborations, Ratna D Reddy, Founder Director, CHIREC informs that the school has been abreast with the latest trends in education and incorporated the strategies and methodologies skills from our pre-primary classes and a common thread and vision is built up.

Naturally the students who have been with us since the pre-primary are more adept and set in CHIREC practices rather than students who have come from different learning environments.

How do you perceive the preschool market in the country?

The specific objective of pre-primary education is to provide all necessary care and education to young children for their development through physical, cognitive, linguistic, social and emotional growth. Preschool is the time to develop the skills to prepare the students for formal education in class I. Students are provided opportunities to develop gross and fine motor skills, creativity, and social skills in a fun filled ambience which is conducive to learning.

Hence, a strong pre-school programme is the solid foundation on which a good education is laid and it is essential for a good schooling.

What are the growth opportunities that you foresee in this segment in the future?

The pre-school segment seems to be most flourishing at this juncture. However, quality pre-schools which understand the science behind the learning process and the correlation with developmental stages, may be limited. The need is felt

more in the major cities, but with more and more both parents working in the 2 and 3 tier cities, the need of good quality pre-schools with trained staff is the need of the hour.

What role does quality pre-school education play in shaping the minds of the students?

Early childhood development programme and curriculum should contain all opportunities for development of physical, cognitive, language, emotional and social domains with necessary learning activities. There should also be flexibility in the way these are applied allowing for individual differences to be accommodated.

What are the lacunas, as per you, in the pre-school segment in the country? How can they be rectified?

Pre-school segment faces challenges of non-availability of trained teachers, high real estate cost and vague government rules and regulations, lack of regulatory mechanism for this segment. Design of a proper curriculum is necessary to ensure smooth transition to formal schooling with meaningful and progressive learning experiences. Lack of awareness on pre-school education is a major challenge. All these will need concerted effort and proper regulation to be set right.

Setting of proper training centres for specialist pre-school teachers is a must.

START-UP

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Enhancing Parent-teacher Communication Give us the brief of the various reasons behind starting the venture.

We at SchoolPad strongly believe that parental involvement is one of the most important elements or rather what greatly impacts the outcome of school education. As part of my previous company and out of curiosity I went to a couple of schools to understand the existing set of productivity tools they were using. It was surprising that none of these tools worked towards making parent-teacher communication more effective which was a big gap and at the same time something that we really wanted to solve. Going into a little more detail we found that these tools were too bulky and complex which instead of making things simpler for teachers, started to become an overhead and eventually lead to minimal or no usage. Also talking to teachers revealed that most of the times when teachers or staff members got stuck and looked for help on using these tools better, it was rarely provided in time.

So all these factors gave us enough reasons to come together and start SchoolPad. What is the market size of the services offered by you in India at present?

Our software platform caters to private

Abhiraj Malhotra

Believing that the parental involvement in the education of a child is supreme and impacts the outcome of school education, Abhiraj Malhotra, Founder and CEO SchoolPad informs Elets News Network (ENN) about SchoolPad, an online platform that bridges the gap between parent-teacher communications which helps in setting the productivity of a child

K-12 schools across India. As per the EYFICCI report on the education sector in India, we have over 3 Lakh 30 thousand plus private schools in our country growing at a CAGR of 4 per cent. So that’s roughly the estimated market size of the services offered by us at this point.

What are the major benefits for organisations adopting your solutions?

Schools that have signed up with us see significant improvement in terms of teacher productivity and at the same time communication with parents because with least effort teachers are able to keep parents more informed and involved using SchoolPad’s online platform. We

have created many happy moments for schools and parents with the experience that we provide and schools love us for the same.

What is the vision of your company for the next two years?

When it comes to creating happy parents through better parent-teacher communication, we want to be the most trusted and accepted tool across K-12 schools in our country. That would certainly take a lot more years but two years down the line we would like to see ourselves closer to it by widening our reach into more cities.

That doesn’t mean just selling it to these schools but actually helping them find value and thus helping progress better.

How you can differentiate your services from competitors?

The way we have supported and engaged our customers and users specifically school teachers after selling our product is what has clearly differentiated us from our competitors. That’s where we spend a lot of our time and focus and that has paid off. Other than that we clearly underdo most of our competition in terms of the number of features. How that helps is that it makes our product much easier to implement and at the same time to use by teachers who find value quickly and hence use it more often. It also helps us focus more and build an overall experience because of which our existing customers love us and enjoy working with it.

What are the various initiatives taken by your organisation to emerge as a market leader?

I really believe in the power of focus and to do something really well you have to be extremely focussed and persistent. So, instead of doing too many things we focus on doing just one thing that we are doing right now and try do it really well.

Secondly, we want to consistently deliver great customer support. We have time and again invested money, time and effort on rethinking the ways we communicate and share information with our customers so that our customers can use the product to its optimum and generate real value out of it.

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CURTAIN RAISER

Mainstreaming Higher Education

With an aim to revitalise Higher Education, the 3rd digitalLEARNING Higher Education Knowledge Exchange will showcase dissemination of views on how to evolve the segment and its future prospects within the country Deliberating at Higher Education Knowledge Exchange 2015, Goa The entire spectrum of India’s Higher Education is going through an unprecedented metamorphosis. At one end India’s ascendance on the global forefront is calling for an amplified leadership in the academic arena as well while on the other catering to an increasingly aspirational domestic population empowering & enabling them to take on meaningful vocations to be able to steer through the economy & society, the demands and expectations from the Higher Education Fraternity are deep & diverse.

This somewhere calls for a serious discourse in strategy beyond the normative ones grappling into mere statistics. By its very purpose, such a deliberation needs to be led & steered through by the members of the fifth estate itself for effective outcomes.

The annual Knowledge Exchange, organized by Elets Technomedia carried duly by its education publication

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digitalLEARNING is an earnest attempt to this effect whereby eduLEADERS and eduPRENEURS from various denominations congregate and exchange their knowledge in a free flowing environment for over 2 days in a residential setting.

Given the participants and the topics being discussed, there is a substantial interest in these Knowledge Exchanges. It’s fast emerging to be the Jackson Hole of India’s Fifth Estate. To help foster the open discussion that has been so critical to the symposium’s success, attendance at the

event is limited and is only by invitation.

The third edition of this much sought after Knowledge Exchange is being convened between 18th and 20th of December in the pristine settings of Goa with a focus on Mainstreaming Higher Education as an active constituent of National Discourse - Economic, Developmental, Technological et al.

This year’s Knowledge Exchange would felicitate some of the enchanting eduLEADERS & enriching eduPRENEURS who have made a difference by their relentless commitment to the cause of Higher Education and using it as an instrument of subtle but substantial transformation in the form of The Fifth Estate Awards.

Invitations are being across to the select lot of eduLEADERS & eduPRENEURS across the entire spectrum of Central, State, Deemed and Private Universities.

In case our editorial team has missed you out and you are keen to receive one, please drop in an email to digitallearning@eletsonline.com.

SPECIAL FEATURE

Managing the Campus Efficiently

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collaborative platform of different sub-platforms, comprising of a systematic process of getting things done securely and instantly is what is described as the Campus Management System (CMS) for most of the institutes and colleges across.

A modern educational infrastructure is the need of the hour. The colleges, institutes and students continue to grow in numbers and to fulfill the needs and requirements of the students, colleges and institutes, it is essential to streamline the workflow to get maximum benefit out of the job. It is a tedious job of managing a college and different complications associated with daily management of large students’ data and their daily needs at different levels.

To help easy management of an institution’s function, it is utmost necessary to deploy campus management system either through ERP technology or CRM, which are beneficial for the colleges.

Most of the modules help in managing the teaching and non-teaching staff, students but there is more to it. The new age modules also helps in handling the registrations, admissions, cafeteria, library, time table preparation, fee collection, examination schedule, lesson planning, question paper, preparation, payroll, student inquiries, progress report, leaves of staff, holidays and much more.

“Campus Management System (CMS) is beneficial in multiple ways. Hundreds of students take admission each year and it is a tiresome job to gather all the data and use it on daily

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Campus Management System provides the availability of a common platform for management, faculties, students and staff to communicate, connect and share. This obviously reduces the infrastructure gap in the organisation. Bhawna Satsangi of Elets News Network (ENN) talks to industry experts to know the benefits of CMS basis for different transactions and processes. Here comes the CMS for rescue as it provides a common data platform for the automation of administrative and academic tasks. Integration between different departments like account, academics, hotel and mess offer a smooth functioning in the campus,” feels Dr Reema Khurana, Professor -in-Charge, ERP Implementation at IMT, Ghaziabad.

“The education sector is witnessing a huge change in the way prospective students are getting to know about them (digital marketing), engaging with them (social media), and converting into paying students (multi-

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ple influence points). Many of these students are in their teens or early 20s and hence are some of the earliest adopters of new technology. The dynamic nature of this demographic forces a lot of education companies to rethink how they are reaching out and talking to these students,” says Shreekala Kurup, COO, Crack Verbal.

Students and Faculty Management In the education sector, ERP has seen some sporadic attempts.

The challenges of higher education institutions have changed over the years. Needless to say, as the size of the institution grows, they just need a campus management product as a factor to streamline the workflow. “Students, parents and admin staff is equally important for the implementation of CMS fruitfully.

I believe that anything which does not have a metric can’t be managed. In our center we do a timely assessment of the

In the education sector, ERP has seen some sporadic attempts. The challenges of higher education institutions have changed over the years. Needless to say, as the size of the institution grows, they just need a campus management product as a factor to streamline the workflow student. A proper assessment is done which a student can also review. For e.g. a paper based online test can be reviewed by student. The teacher can access the time student devote to per question. The teacher gets an assessment which helps him in analysing the progress of the student which in turn helps in improving his scores. Different students have different need so CMS helps in evolving

the different needs of different students,” shares Abhishek Anand, Founder and Director, Eptitude.

This system is a suite of non-cognitive motivational assessments and predictive modeling that gauges students’ likelihood of persisting. Campuses use these data to identify at-risk students and student receptivity to institutional support. Using the data, their advising programmes, academic support services, mentoring programmes, and career services programmes target students who indicate both a need and a desire for assistance.

This type of technology can also help in assessing the faculty. All the faculty members connect with the students through the Campus Management System facility. So with the use of this technology, faculties can get the clear identification of learning objectives and communicating to the students even before the session starts. If a foreign faculty is coming for a lecture session, they may plan their schedule and get in touch with the academics in advance. Apart from helping in teacher training, the CMS offers systematic and smooth evaluation techniques.

“IMT is rapidly adapting the concept of paperless and digitisation system but it will take time to come to a full-fledged concept. Currently, the sharing of document is being done through intranet facility and almost all of the documentation work is completed in the form of soft copy. The proposed Campus Management System at IMT, Ghaziabad will also be used extensively for sharing of documents. The document management systems help in versioning of documents, ensuring utmost security and centralised repository of documents. At IMT, Ghaziabad we follow a scanning policy for all-important documents of students, promoting long time preservation of data and space,” informs Khurana.

Teacher-parent interaction is also one of the important aspects that CMS caters to.

Through the software the parent and teacher can analyze and keep track of the child’s performance even at times when they are away. There are modules in the market with which teachers can directly interact with parents sending them SMS or email notification on their kid’s performance.

digitalLEARNING / November 2015

51

SPECIAL FEATURE “A login user name and password will be given to the parents through which they can access the academic process of their wards and can directly interact with the administration and faculty members.IMT ensures regular feedback from parent through active participation on regular intervals,” says Khurana.

Security Utmost Important Security of students plays a vital role in the infrastructural structure of an institute. Creating a safe and secure environment requires the involvement.

Higher education institutions are legally required to mitigate the impact of threats to campus safety and security through effective all hazard emergency preparedness.

Parents should have the knowledge of the security apps that are available.

They should review the app which will give a good idea about safety of the app.

To have a knowledge of a good secure device is also important. Once the device is secure, it becomes easy to talk to a child about cyber safety. The virtual world is a window outside the world so that kind of education is necessary. Colleges have a secure infrastructure. Colleges need not use public wi-fi, it should be secured Wi-Fi, secure VPN is the best solutions, blockers and jammers have to be placed properly,” says Anindita Mishra, Online Child Safety Evangelist, Cybermum India, Intel Security.

Security is the most important element of Campus Management System, as it is the core of web based cloud systems. The security vulnerability depends on how secure the software is architecture wise. The security challenges in

Students, parents and admin staff is equally important for the implementation of CMS fruitfully. I believe that anything which does not have a metric can’t be managed. In our center we do a timely assessment of the student. A proper assessment is done which a student can also review.” cloud system is high but in private cloud the security issue is relatively low as it is protected by a strong firewall on a private server.

“IMT has its own private cloud server and wider access is given to everyone, which is protected with multi-level password security mechanism. Also, we propose to conduct audit with the support

Source: online24x7

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November 2015 / digitalLEARNING

of third party to do security check on regular intervals. Additionally, IMT intends to have a centralised monitoring of servers of all the campuses, based on security policy document,” says Khurana.

“I think campus needs to consider that there are insecurity policies to ensure to provide up-to-date security protection. Security policy should be in place which is very important. There are number of security devices that Intel offers to number of education providers,” informs Melanie Duca, APAC Consumer Marketing Director, Intel Security.

CMS addresses all issues. The ability of an educational institution to implement processes is hindered by the absence of single system. So, there is a need for a solution that is purpose-built to fit the unique requirements of the education industry.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Cashing on

Cashless Campus

In a world that impinges upon the architecture of technological advancement, you see students now arrive at the canteen counter and swipe a smart card to get his meal, swipe a card and get access to library, a universal debit card for students that ensures no worries of carrying wallet, welcome to the world of cashless campus. Jessy Iype of Elets News Network (ENN) writes about the budding concept with industry experts while throwing light at some key findings

T

he wave of digitisation has taken the world into a zone where imbibing the fruits from it will only give more access to something that can be virtually superior. The education sector in India is still gaining momentum in terms of providing genuine accountability for quality education to the students.

When we talk about chalking quality, it has to serve the purpose through maximum output in the form of exemplary results in the examinations, optimum infrastructure and facilities like easy access to library, canteen, bank, shop among others.

It is a common sight abroad to have students cater to facilities provided at the campus at ease, like a biometric smart card that allows any student equal access to get food from the canteen, main-

tain record of books taken from the library, maintain record of the child’s activity through the track chips which are detected whenever student swipes it while entering a classroom or goes out of the campus. These facilities help parents/guardians get a picture of the child’s activity during learning hours.

In India, we are roping in this concept of a cashless campus to garner education and retain a standard for capturing the global market here.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has roped in ITZ Cash, the pre-paid cards venture of Subhash Chandra’s Essel Group, and created a small tag — a sticker-like instrument.

Around 2,000 IIT students now use it to store cash. It is a small microchip with minute near field communication (NFC)

The motive to have a cashless concept in the campus is to try payment technology and increase awareness, which are cost-effective and time-efficient

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November 2015 / digitalLEARNING

aerials that can talk to other NFC devices. Around 30 of the 40 retailers within IIT have installed machines that can accept payments through the tags.

Initiating a Change In an effort to turn Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta (IIM-C) into a cashless campus, the management is installing a facility at different points of sale — dining halls, stores, canteens, library, cooperative stores and other kiosks — where students will use a card to make transactions.

“It will be convenient for students to carry the card. Even the vendors will benefit out of it as they will get the money immediately as per the service rendered. Their long outstanding dues from student will be a thing of the past,” remarked Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta (IIM-C) Dean (new initiatives and external relations) professor Ashok Banerjee.

The institute has entered into a tie-up with a private bank who will issue the cards and install the swiping machines inside the campus. The students will be required to refill their cards at identified top-up stations. Card holders will have to pay `200 for each card, which will be valid for three years. It is a one-time charge payable to the bank.

Mudit Bhatnagar – Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, ITZ Cash, said, “The initiative ‘Cashless Campus’ is India’s first Contactless Semi-Closed Prepaid Payment. The power to pay tags have been developed exclusively for the student body and faculty of IIT Bombay and can be used at majority of the outlets in our campus to make day-to-day purchases in book shops, stationery stores, groceries, restaurants and canteens. The whole purpose is to offer extremely convenient way of transacting on campus, saving the hassle of carrying cash around and struggling with loose change to make payments. The initiative will allow you to pay across most of the merchants on the campus just by a tap of your mobile phones. These tags can be put on anything, even on mobile phones.”

digitallearning.eletsonline.com

The initiative is launched in partnership with ITZ Cash, Canara Bank and RuPay (domestic card scheme conceived and launched by the National Payments Corporation of India) and it is also possible to link your bank account or mess bill account to make the payment. Online and coupon recharge options are also available. One needs to just recharge one’s tag and flash it across outlets on campus.

“This concept is more popular with the educational institutions and universities abroad. They have a generic system

Why Cashless?

The concept is new and exciting, but it should also reap some benefits: l Comprehensive Audit: Cashless Schools provides you with a comprehensive audit trail of all online, cash, and check transactions, allowing you, and auditors, to see where your money came from, and where it is now. l Anytime Payment: Offer parents anytime online payments, from registration fees to field trips to cafeteria purchases. l Saves Time of Knowledge Givers: Teachers spend less time handling cash or managing payment lists and more time teaching. Administrators and book keepers have immediate access to payment and deposit reports. l Organise Ease: The system organises revenue quickly, having each settle automatically into the bank account of your choice and report using your own general ledgers with realtime reporting. l Easy Communication for Guardians: Easily communicate updates and news to all your parents and staff using the Cashless Communication module.

ASHOK BANERJEE Dean, Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta (IIM-C) “It will be convenient for students to carry the card. Even the vendors will benefit out of it as they will get the money immediately as per the service rendered. Their long outstanding dues from student will be a thing of the past.” of biometric chips, which are installed in the smart cards that can provide access to easy money for students but the concept is just cracking the lid and has a long way to go,” says Aditya Babbar, CEO, India Payments.

Motivational Push Required The motive to have a cashless concept in the campus is to trial payment technology and increase awareness, which are cost-effective and time-efficient.

Says Bhatnagar, “Students and employees will be spared of long queues and the chore of keeping loose change in person, whereas merchants can also save on cash handling and operational costs. The system is easy to use and payment and authentication is in real time.”

“The acceptability is not an issue with the students, it’s sorted with the parents as well. But the main challenge is in its execution at the administrative level, it has to have more network effect,” opines Babbar.

Embarking on Innovations There is also an option of wristband seen as a great alternative to traditional smart cards.

“The Wristbands are a clone of any contactless bank card and can be used the same way any contactless payment

card operates. These devices operate even if a user leaves his / her wallet home and are useful while making purchases during a leisure activity outdoors. These wrist bands come with the same safety features as any other contactless payment instrument viz – pin based authorisation of any purchases made in quick succession and if any payments made above the limits as prescribed by the bank or the issuing entity. (eg purchases above `200 would need a PIN based authorisation),” Bhatnagar informs.

Future is Bright “The payment process is in its nascent stage. Cashless is one aspect in overall scheme of things, whether we succeed or not is another matter. The universities have implemented it but it is still a new concept, particularly, a mainstream set up,” feels Babbar.

Whereas, Bhatanagar reveals, “The concept has taken off well with many campuses showing interest. Such an initiative requires collaborative efforts not just from the payment service provider or the bank but from the educational institution as well to ensure proper infrastructure is made available. Only then will such programmes be successful both commercially and for customer convenience too.”

digitalLEARNING / November 2015

55

SPECIAL FEATURE

With technology changing every sphere of life, the education and learning space is no longer away from it. The examinations, way to judge a person’s education and learning capability, are now being replaced by the automated and online internet-based examination system with earlier paper-based examination system. Aamir H Kaki of Elets News Network (ENN) shares an insight on the examination management system and how it is changing the education landscape

EMS-Revolutionising

the Exam Process

E

ducation and learning of any kind is necessary to develop socially and intellectually. Education mainly involves three aspects, teaching, learning and testing, which are indispensable and linked to each other. Everyday people learn something new. Everyone has a social and learning personality different from others.

The learning personality is the combination of natural talent, personal interest, social environment, character, motivation and how the brain processes content and information.

The schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutes are being set up to impart the education - a vital part of life. Earlier, the education and learning was limited to the classrooms but now the technology is changing the way we teach and learn.

As Aakash Chaudhry, Director, Aakash Education Service Pvt Ltd

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November 2015 / digitalLEARNING

(AESPL), puts in, “Technology plays a key role in increasing the reach of the content which is earlier limited to learning centers and classrooms only. Nowadays, with the help of technology you can take the con-

tent to the students anywhere in the country.”

However, the technology is still needed to make deep impact in the education sector in India. Students still believe that classrooms are the only place for

AAKASH CHAUDHRY Director, Aakash Education Service Pvt Ltd “Future looks very promising. We have seen e-learning and online learning since our inception and now mobile apps are coming. So, technology will totally change the learning experience in future.”

digitallearning.eletsonline.com

learning. “Online education is still at the nascent stage, we have to change this.

Students think that for learning they have to go to classrooms, they don’t think to go online,” says Chaudhry.

He adds, “Future looks very promising. We have seen e-learning and online learning since our inception and now mobile apps are coming. So, technology will totally change the learning experience in future.”

India is a country of learners and people here seek learning. If someone is a good teacher, students come to him by themselves and there is no need of publicity. However, high quality of content is required to create a good demand of technology-driven learning. Aditi Avasthi, Founder and CEO, Embibe.com says, “When you come to the learning space you have to look from learner’s perspective. Unlike e-commerce, which is transaction driven, education is about consumption. Until and unless, we focus on quality in delivering distance learning, it might not be impactful, students will come and fathom for an hour and leave.”

To make the education technology impactful, there is a need of personalised approach to every student. “We, at Embibe, focus on using data science and right level of content to actually help every student in learning process in a personalised manner. Our goal is, whatever be the academic level or background of students, to ensure that they are able to consume content and get feedback, which is tailored to help them improve and make them become a better learner,” adds Avasthi.

ADITI AVASTHI Founder and CEO Embibe.com “When you come to the learning space, you have to look from learner’s perspective.

Unlike e-commerce, which is transaction driven, education is about consumption. Until and unless, we focus on quality in delivering distance learning, it might not be impactful, students will come and fathom for an hour and leave.”

EMS: Need of the Hour In today’s world, education and learning capability is judged by means of examinations. Examinations are vital in judging one’s personality. Thus, the need of exams in universities, schools, colleges and even companies is required for recruitment purposes. The general paper-based tests/exams are now slowly being replaced by the automated and online internet-based examination system.

Recently, there was news all over the media about leakage of examination paper before the actual examination due to which entire examination was cancelled at one of the universities.

This has led the other examination conducting bodies and universities to look

for ways to ensure a secure and error free system to conduct exams. With increasing number of students appearing for various exams - be it competitive or regular curriculum based - in universities, educational institutes and coaching institutes, there is need of a scalable approach in terms of managing examination system in an efficient way.

In this digital era, technology comes as a solution to change the way examinations are conducted with the traditional paper-based examinations.

However, as an examination conducting body you are: worried that the question papers can be leaked before exams. It is a tiresome job for you to prepare a 2-3 sets of questionnaires to avoid any leakage of question papers.

You have concerns about verification of answers and result processing as these are huge and prone to errors. It is complicated for you to manage examination including classroom infrastructure, question paper, answer sheets, etc. and, you have to take a decision on the supervisors for every set of papers.

If you are facing the given challenges, this means you are following the traditional form of paper-based examination process. In new-age education delivery systems, conducting and managing the examination process in a

digitalLEARNING / November 2015

57

SPECIAL FEATURE

secure environment is an onerous task.

There is a need for absolute accuracy in conducting exams and the pressure of highly compressed deadlines. To deal with this, a robust and effective information technology solution - Examination Management System (EMS) comes into existence. EMS provides a comprehensive, integrated and secure examination solution that supports conventional as well as online processes. It can effectively manage the full range of examinations and qualifications processes - from Pre-Examination, Examination phase to the Post- Examination phase.

The EMS, developed to cater to the examination administrative and conduct needs of educational institutes and universities, allows an easily managed interface to be used by the institution to ensure smooth transfer of existing hardcopies and files on to the electronic database. The system allows integration of all activities involved in conducting an exam such as roll number allocation, exam paper uploads, syllabus management, registration, admin card generation, answer format design, automatic result generation and report card generation.

Designed to suit the needs of educational institutions, the EMS provides a simple and easy-to-use web-based centralised user interface and a welldefined database-centric model for storing, managing, retrieving and aggregating examination objects. The system also offers a powerful but easy to use question bank authoring system with different question types, which can be managed online and contain multimedia contents. These question papers are delivered in a highly secured manner with encryption technology. These systems are robust enough to handle large amount of data.

Why EMS? By means of an automated EMS, most of the universities, polytechnics and other professional educational institutions with a growing number of students, can effectively manage the whole examination process and simul-

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taneously save time and money spent on designing, scoring and printing of tests. The EMS enables the institutions to conduct examination online, semionline and offline with utmost security and sophistication. The system offers a variety of benefits: Accuracy: The EMS is a smart system that ensures high levels of accuracy in conducting exams. The provisions to transfer sensitive data holding examination question papers, results, fees structure, student/teacher personnel information and other important information managed through the system ensure compliance.

Remote Access: The system works on a unified network where in the students can log in to access the portal to check the course details, exam infor-

efits of using an online system is to replace the bulky filing cabinets and paper archives of school exam administration process. All information can be stored on electronic format to ensure long lasting backup and easy access to the data. This leads to effective cost saving opportunities for record management.

Simplification and Accuracy in Result Processing: With usage of assessment engines overall examination process becomes smooth and result publishing becomes simple task and errors associated with result processing gets reduced.

mation, syllabus and results. The core feature of the system is to facilitate automated examinations to replace the standard paper based exams which ensure easy management, immediate corrections facilities, removal of illegible answer sheets.

High Level Security: The online exam system is secure and ensures that all information is retained as confidential. Also, the online examination conducted ensures there is avoidance in possibility of exam cheating practices and plagiarism. The software has been designed with multilevel security to ensure a practical choice over traditional methodology.

Archiving: One of the key ben-

er been easy. Now, with Examination Management System, school teachers and college/university professors can manage the whole exam process from question papers to final results, very easily.

In addition, the system can also be a powerful tool for e-learning and online education. It can be helpful in creating quiz, question bank, certification examination questions in any language, etc.

Besides schools, colleges and universities, recruiting agencies and companies can use it for candidates skills evaluation by conducting online test. It can also be very useful for parents in the academic development of kids to improve their educational skills.

The Way Forward For schools, colleges and universities, managing the examination have nev-

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