India May Jump Ahead Economically by Employing More E-Learning in Schools

Several business leaders at this week’s World Economic Forum’s India Economic Summit made a push for more use of technology when educating students.

Peje P. M. Emilsson, chairman and chief executive at Magnora, Sweden, which owns the education institute, Kunskapsskolan said, “There needs to be proper interface between technology and teachers.”

“Classrooms need disruption to innovate,” he was quoted by LiveMint.com.

“Use of technology and e-learning will allow high-quality teachers to expand their reach,” added Naresh Gupta, managing director of Adobe (News - Alert) Systems India, when speaking at the LiveMint forum.

Shantanu Prakash, Educomp Solution’s managing director, said the company’s virtual studios let trainers spread training to rural regions, and can reach 100,000 accounting students.

“The future of education is online,” according to dialogue from one of the event’s panels.

In a related comment, Gordon Brown, United Nations special envoy for global education and the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said education can help move national economies from middle income to higher income ranking.

There is “no other important issue other than education in this country or globally,” Brown was quoted by LiveMint.

Meanwhile, the government of India is encouraging more digital learning and interactive classroom modules, according to a report from TMCnet.

That means businesses providing education services now see potential in the nation’s e-learning market. There will be more spent on digital education, increased public-private partnerships, the need for additional infrastructure and more need for technology training.

It could lead to more IT in schools and more distance learning, TMCnet added.

In a related matter, Microsoft (News - Alert) Corporation India recently announced the launch of a new education resourcing program, Microsoft Ed-vantage. The new program lets 10,000 universities and colleges tailor Microsoft solutions to their individual needs. It also leads to increased chances for students getting jobs after they graduate from college.

"This program's primary focus is to make students more employable and equip them with skills relevant to industry needs. It is designed to help eligible academic campuses and their students connect with various organizations in Indian industry, thereby creating a platform for the students to explore internship and employment opportunities," the company said in a statement.