From correspondents in Punjab, India, 10:29 PM IST
The ubiquity of the high-speed internet access has changed the way we communicate, the way we do business and ultimately the way we live. It has also brought a sea change in the way education is imparted and has brought new professional vistas for the teachers.
A research of Evalueserve, a global research and analytics services firm shows that from April 2006 through March 2007, online tutoring from India earned around $12 million to $14 million. A US Educational Act of ‘No Child Left Behind’ has triggered the demand where state funding for schools hinges on improving their students’ grades. There is a fast-growing demand for such services, with the CII estimating 46 per cent annual growth and projecting that India will become a KPO (Knowledge Process Outsourcing) hub worth $17 billion by 2010. Indian online tutoring companies charge $20-30 an hour as opposed to $60-100 charged by US companies. Whereas Indian tutors, working online from their homes can earn $15-30 (Rs 645-1,200) per hour.
Online education is catching pace in India also because of increasing distances, decreasing time and safety issues. Moreover the test preparation teaching business is an estimated $72bn market with about 60lakh applicants spending Rs.12,000 per year. Online teaching makes the teachers independent of the institutions’ brands and gives them the liberty to prove their worth to the learning hungry students in India and abroad alike.
In addition, with the Indian government’s plan to ease norms to allow educators to setup commercial entities while employed in academic institutes, a new race of education entrepreneurs is in the making. The best business they can venture is what they are best at i.e. teaching. Platforms like WiZiQ.com help these budding entrepreneurs by providing a free platform to them to maximize revenues from their online teaching business.
“As a true web 2.0 company, we help teachers to become entrepreneurs and widen their students’ base by teaching online. The increase in broadband connectivity will definitely act as a catalyst in the process. WiZiQ.com equips teachers with necessary tools to emerge as winners in this competitive field of e-learning.” Says Mr. Harman Singh, CEO, WiZiQ.com
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