Knowledge
Tata Sky to offer maths and science coaching on its DTH platform.
Direct-To-home service provider, Tata Sky has launched Tata Sky Classroom in a bid to tap into the ₹2.6 lakh crore private tuition markets in India. Tata ClassEdge is developing content for the DTH platform.
That our students are increasingly relying on external coaching assistance is clear from the fact that 25% of students take private tuition to supplement the education they receive in formal educational institutes. It clearly shows that a gap exists in the teaching in the classroom and the desired intervention by students. Students look out for avenues that can help them bridge the gap, Tata Sky's latest initiative, an educational service, Tata Sky Classroom in association with Tata ClassEdge, is likely to catch the fancy of the 17 million households this Direct-To-Home (DTH) service provider reaches out to.
Yesterday, Tata Sky, a joint venture between the Tata Group and 21st Century Fox, today launched the Tata Sky Classroom in Ahmedabad. This new initiative would offer coaching of basic concepts of mathematics and science for students of standard V to VIII as per the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research & Training) syllabus for ₹99 per month. If a viewer chooses to opt for content of only one standard, the provider will charge ₹59 a month.
The content for this service is being developed by Tata ClassEdge, an experienced provider of technology based education solutions to schools. The content is designed to not only explain the fundamentals of these subjects using multi-media animation, but would also have a time bound schedule, multiple choice questions, learning games and even mock tests.
India’s private tuitions industry is estimated to be around ₹2.6 lakh crore in size and as per a report by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), one in every four students in the country opts for private tuitions.
Launched in 2012, Tata ClassEdge, currently reaches out to 1300 schools across the country touching 1.5 million students and is currently being used by 70,000 teachers. Rajesh Khandagale, chief commercial officer, Tata ClassEdge said that by 2025 the company is targeting to reach 10 million students. The company which already operates as an educational service provider to schools, is now trying to tap the network of the DTH medium to expand its reach given that the internet penetration in India is not very high.
While Khandagle did not share any figures on the investments made to customise the content to suit the DTH medium, which includes changes like bringing in a mentor who would explain concepts to children, unlike the content for school classrooms where the content itself is a supplemental tool for the teachers. Khandagale feels that given the huge demand for quality education in India, the service would pick up momentum soon.