New Delhi:

India’s education sector, especially offline coaching centres, was once booming. The country played a key role in the global education landscape, with the largest network of higher education institutions in the world. When Covid-19 hit in 2020 and a lockdown was imposed, all classes were forced to go online. Everyone thought this would change education in India forever, breaking down barriers and making quality learning accessible at a click for everyone. Professors recorded their lessons and students began learning at their convenience.

However, what once was flourishing, began collapsing soon.

Financial crisis, lower input costs, and cases of illegal registrations have been some of the factors responsible for the downfall of the edtech system in India.

Why is online edtech not booming?

After years of online education, many parents are sending their children back to offline classes. According to reports, this is mainly due to a lack of motivation.

Institutes like Coursera, Udemy, and Byjus offer online courses wherein teachers record their lectures or set a time for live discussions and students join in. But a report by Udemy claimed that most students complete just 30 per cent of the content and leave. Some even pay for the course, but never start it.

Similarly, Byjus which offers online learning programs, has been facing a severe funding crunch. It became popular during the Covid-19 pandemic and its valuation shot up to $22 billion in 2022. But since then, it has faced demands for unpaid dues and allegations of mismanagement. It also allegedly entered into insolvency after US lenders complained to the Supreme Court last year about the misuse of $1 billion borrowed by the company.

But then why are offline education centres collapsing?

Many key factors such as financial crisis and safety issues recently have contributed to the collapse of the sector.

FIITJEE centres shut down

FIITJEE (Forum For Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination)  has been going through a crisis amid speculation over the institute’s financial crisis and troubles due to fresh administrative and civic action against its branches for violating licensing and fire safety rules. At least eight FIITJEE coaching centres across North India have abruptly shut over the past week, leaving hundreds of students and parents fuming ahead of board and entrance examinations.

The closure came after several teachers at the institute quit en masse due to unpaid salaries, officials said.

Many parents have filed police complaints, alleging that the private coaching institution did not give them any notice or their refunds. Several pictures and videos showed the parents protesting outside the institute’s now-shut branches.

Accidents and crackdown

In 2023, a massive fire erupted at a coaching institute in Mukherjee Nagar in Delhi, injuring over 60 students. Last year, three civil services aspirants lost their lives after a sudden surge in rainwater flooded the basement of a building in central Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar, where Rau’s IAS Study Circle ran a coaching centre. The three victims – Shreya Yadav (25) from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni (25) from Telangana and Nevin Delvin (24) from Kerala – drowned in the flooded basement.

The Delhi government since then begun a big crackdown against coaching centres in the national capital. Over 20 centres – which violated safety norms – were sealed immediately in the aftermath of the basement tragedy. Civic authorities also took out bulldozer action near institutes where encroachment led to blocked drains, compounding the waterlogging issue.

Amid the crackdown, officials also found several coaching institutes that had illegal or no registered documents.

Zoho Chief Executive Officer Sridhar Vembu reacted to FIITJEE’s latest advertisement which drew heavy criticism for its unethical tactics. The print ad used a student’s image to suggest declining performance after leaving their institute. It further stooped to fear-mongering by associating a competitor with student suicides and using inflammatory language like “evil.” Mr Vembu reposted the ad and said that the country needs to get out of the “ultra-competitive exam pressure” on students and young adults. He added that his company has “pledged to not even consider academic credentials” as an employer.

“India has to get out of this ultra-competitive exam pressure on children and young adults. This is one area where I would *not* learn from East Asia but instead learn from Finland which has a superb state-funded educational system that serves every child without such competitive insanity,” Mr Vembu wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

India has to get out of this ultra-competitive exam pressure on children and young adults. This is one area where I would *not* learn from East Asia but instead learn from Finland which has a superb state-funded educational system that serves every child without such competitive… https://t.co/AjdkIl0Nmt

— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) March 17, 2024

The Zoho Chief slammed the competitive exam culture and said that pressure at a young age “destroys talent and creates zombified adults.” He added, “It is the rat race to extinction. Intense competition is for companies serving a market and for sports, not for children in education.”

He continued, “As an employer, we have pledged to not even consider academic credentials. We are also investing in educational alternatives that are inspired by Finland.”

Since being shared, the post has amassed over two lakh views and three thousand likes. Several people also took to the comments section to share their views on the same.

“Another important thing to learn from Finland is the medium of instruction. Most schools teach in Finnish language. Mother tongue based education has played a key role in their education success,” said a user.

Another user wrote, “We need more such voices!”

“Amongst all the things that need a revamp, Indian educational system tops the list,” remarked a user.

A user mentioned, “All this is due to the fact that most of our parents before social media age didn’t have vision beyond government exams or competitive exams. But as we grow old and become parents people will surely get more options to explore.”

“We should be fostering creativity, resilience, and removing the ‘do or die exams’ culture! Success is a marathon, and pursuing it with joy is doable!” expressed a person.

Coaching institute, FIITJEE’s latest advertisement drew heavy criticism for its unethical tactics. The ad used a student’s image to suggest declining performance after leaving their coaching. It further stoops to fear-mongering by associating a competitor with student suicides and using inflammatory language like “evil.”

Indian Revenue Service officer, Katyayani Sanjay Bhatia took to X, formerly Twitter to share a photo of the ad on social media and wrote, “A new low in advertisements @fiitjee. You are posting a picture of a child saying she performed badly because she left your institute! I have blurred the picture because I don’t believe in this disgusting way of claiming your superiority by belittling a girl child.” 

In a subsequent post, Mrs Bhatia wrote, “We talk about parents putting pressure on kids for IIT JEE, but what about this manner of advertising where you shame a student for not performing? And claiming superiority by claiming that she would have performed had she been in your institute? Shameful.”

Mrs Bhatia said that no institute has the right to shame students to claim its superiority. 

“And it doesn’t stop here. They are claiming their superiority by talking about the institute with a ‘history of suicides’. Shameful. Suicides in Kota are an issue that concerns us all above petty competition but claiming in this manner is cheap,” she further wrote on X.

Mrs Bhatia also urged the Education ministry to take note of such advertising malpractices. “Such advertising malpractices need to be checked- No institute has the right to shame students to claim its superiority.” 

See the post here:

A new low in advertisements @fiitjee . You are posting the picture of a child saying that she performed badly because she left your institute! I have blurred the picture because I don’t believe in this disgusting way of claiming your superiority by belittling a girl child. pic.twitter.com/W18Rd9rh1s

— Katyayani Sanjay Bhatia (@katyayani13) March 17, 2024

Since being shared, the ad has caught the attention of the internet and many users called the ad “staggeringly insensitive.” 

A user wrote, “The girl and her parents should sue them for criminal harassment and defamation. Mere withdrawal of the ad or an insincere apology ain’t enough.”

Another user commented, “I have respect for Fiitjee due to their teachers but This is horrible advertising!Don’t know how this was approved in the first place that too, on the first page of a national newspaper.”

“This is horrible! @fiitjee, please remove this advertisement from all places & issue a public apology to the general public, specifically to the girl. Any activist lawyer if seeing this comment, please initiate legal proceedings against this institute if possible,” the third user wrote.