Remote tutoring picks up with broadband, TV

As the country braces itself for higher internet and TV penetration, children may not have to travel to the tuition classes or to wait for a home-tutor.

They can opt for a online tutoring or can engage themselves with TV sets to make education an interactive and insightful learning experience.

The worldwide market for the online tutoring is estimated to be $12 billion (Rs 46,800 crore). The $4-billion (Rs 15,600 cr) US online tutoring industry is the world's largest education market and is growing at an estimated rate of 10 per cent a year. According to the IDC forecasts, the e-learning market would touch $28 billion by this year.

The country has 9.5 lakh schools and 220 million schools students. An average middle-class in India spends 35 per cent of its annual earnings on their children's education and a large majority of children from the middle-and upper-classes takes tuition from class 6 onward.

Given the value for money proposition, convenience factor and increasing accessibility to the internet, this form of tutoring is gaining popularity in India as well.

"Besides an increase in penetration of the internet, there is also a shortage of good tutors, which is being tackled by websites," said Sivaramakrishnan, executive director, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC).

Sivaramakrishnan said, "This model provides high rates of return on investment. With one time major investment, these websites can reap benefits for a longer period," adding that, "In India, the parents are willing to invest in their children's education, on which these websites capitalise on."

These websites provide wide range of services, right from test papers, after-school assignments, periodic assessments as well as personal interaction with teachers online. For instance, extramarks.com provides a choice of packages available on the website with a minimum fee of Rs 100 a month.

According to Atul Kulshreshta, chairman and originator, extramarks.com, "The website will be launched in the next three months, but we have already one lakh registrations on the website," adding that, "This is a unique website, we provide a complete ecosystem for students, parents and teachers.

In July 2006, Educomp Solutions launched Mathguru.com.in, which helps students between 6th and 12th standard to solve maths and has 15,000 registered users.

Educomp acquired live tutoring website Learning Hour Monthly package which includes 12 one-hour sessions, 2 hours of live tests, one-to-one sessions with the teachers costs Rs 3,000 a month and a group session for Rs 1,000 a student a month.

"Though online education is still at a nascent stage in India, but in the next three years will be the golden years for these online education companies. There will be huge growth," says Sivaramakrishnan.

"Right now there are a number of smaller websites providing online tuition, however in the long-run, quality will judge the survival of the website," he adds.

Moreover, cashing in on the opportunities provided by the virtual interactive media in the field of education, direct to home (DTH) service providers such as Dish and Tata Sky too are attempting to get their share. Both service providers will air a curriculum-based television channel called 'Topper' aimed at students.