SHALINI SAKSENA speaks with AAKASH CHAUDHRY, director Aakash Educational Services Limited about the revolution taking place in education in times of COVID-19

Are we looking at a revolution in how we are going to teach?

There is an absolute change in the mindset of the parents and students. We had kids who had enrolled for our offline courses to begin on March 18 and March 24. We offered to shift them to online mode and all of them agreed.

We started our batches from March 18. Earlier, while the student stayed home, the teachers were coming to the centres. But now, we have shifted the systems to the mentor’s homes who are teaching from morning to late night.

People are experimenting and while this is not 100 per cent replacement to physical education, it is an excellent option in the given situation.

At least e-learning is helping students to gain knowledge and not sit idle.

What are the challenges when you take education to the digital platform?

We have been offering online live classes for the last five years and made ample changes. The platform we are using is fully interactive where a student can interrupt the ongoing class and ask questions.

The challenge comes in the form of the Internet connection and the device the student is using. We try and give free information. Then there are the connectivity issues at tutors’ homes now.

Will online education be a permanent feature or is this a temporary phase?

This will leave some impact on physical classroom teaching. Kids would like to come to centres for lesser number of days for physical classes.

They would prefer to learn from home and come to centres for deeper learning. Physical and digital combination will emerge to redefine how kids will be taught.

What will it mean for the students and coaching institute?

Students choose a coaching institute on the bases of access, proximity and finances. Online mode is cheaper and kids who earlier didn’t have access to quality education will now have that. For the coaching institutes as well, it will mean one can increase more batches and reach out to a lot more students with the online-offline combination. People will not be now just looking at one kind of education mode.

How well-placed and prepared are you?

We have been working in the digital space since 2012. We are fully geared and prepared to teach students in hundreds of thousands from their homes where they are safe.