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Stonehill International School [SIS], known for its’ diverse and inclusive culture, continues to move from strength to strength. With an average of 32.1 points, Stonehill’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme [IBDP] score remains above the world average, for the sixth consecutive year. Of the graduating Class of 2018, Stonehill’s top scorers received an excellent result of 42 out of a maximum score of 45 points.

The IB Diploma [Grade 11 and 12] is a rigorous two-year programme designed to prepare students in multidisciplinary approaches to solving problems. It is crafted to be academically challenging, allowing students to acquire a vast breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding;make connections across traditional academic disciplines through in-depth academic research; and strengthens their ability to solve problems and understand concepts. This holistic approach to education helps students enhance their personal and interpersonal development as well.

Students from Stonehill’s graduating Class of 2018 have been accepted into prestigious universities like Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT], Stanford University, London School of Economics [LSE], McGill University and more.

Over the years, the school has accomplished an illustrious record of placing its’ students in some of the best universities such as MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, Texas A&M, and Virginia Tech in the United States; London School of Economics, Kings College London, University of Manchester, University of Warwick and the University of Bath in the UK; Savannah School of Art and Design, City University of Hong Kong, BITS Pilani, VIT Vellore and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, amongst others in Asia.

Simon McCloskey,the Head of School said

As an inclusive school, striving to develop caring, confident and responsible global citizens, we are delighted that Stonehill’s average IB Diploma results have now been consistently above the world average for the past six years. We are also extremely pleased that two of our students, Dilsher Singh and Vinicius De Paula Sousa, both achieved 42 points – our highest score this year. We are all extremely proud of the Stonehill Graduating Class of 2018. We know that our very special students will go on to achieve great things.

Here’s what Stonehill’s top scorers have to say about the IB Diploma Programme and the school

Dilsher, one of Stonehill’s top scorers says

Maths and Science have always been my areas of interest; the excellent teachers at Stonehill have provided me with wonderful opportunities to leverage these interests. Sports has been my passion and Stonehill has given me opportunities to excel in football, cricket and swimming. The school has helped me develop lifelong skills which make me feel better prepared for University life. The IB programme has provided me with a holistic environment for learning and made me a confident learner.

Vinicius, another top scorer, says

Being a student at Stonehill provided me with the perfect environment to learn. I had the freedom and the space to follow my intuition, along with the necessary and strong support from teachers to fall back on when I needed guidance. These two elements made my experience in Stonehill a very valuable one – one I’ll remember forever.

Shashank Rammoorthy, Valedictorian for this years’ cohort says

Studying at Stonehill has been a great, all-round experience. I’ve learnt so much from my teachers and friends at this diverse school. The students received great support from all of our teachers, especially as the final IB exams approached.

Dilsher [L], Shashank [R], Vinicius [C]

Stonehill has grown into one of India’s most respected IB world schools and its major strengths are:

  1. Diverse learning community – Stonehill admits students from over 35 countries and provides a diverse and rich learning community.
  2. Inclusivity/Non-Selective School – Most schools are ‘selective’ and admit students who excel only in academics. Stonehill  believes in a ‘non-selective’ Admissions process, allowing students with different abilities and strengths, to excel in a challenging academic environment supported by highly skilled educators who focus on developing each child intothe best versions of themselves.
  3. Faculty – Stonehill is renowned for hiring educators with a perfect blend of the best IB experience and international school experience. The highly trained Indian and international faculty includes teachers who are very active in various roles like IB workshop leaders, IB exam inspectors and senior examiners,accreditation specialists for other schools and more
  4. Residential programme – Stonehill’s unique residential programme is designed to nurture each child to create caring, confident, empathetic global citizens. Students can opt for full-time or weekly boarding, and take advantage of residential tutors to help them academically. Stonehill is a member of the Australian Boarding Schools Association [ABSA], which is a leading authority on boarding for school-aged students both in Australia, and overseas
  5. Accreditation – Stonehill is one of the very few schools in the country that is jointly accredited by the Council of International Schools [CIS], New England Association of Schools and Colleges [NEASC] and the IB [International Baccalaureate] which ensures that the guiding statements of the school, student’s learning and well-being, governance, leadership and staffing policies and practices are benchmarked to some of the best schools around the world.

Narendra Mehrotra, the Principal of the Secondary School says

We at Stonehill believe in providing a truly global education by providing challenging and diverse learning environments that promote international mindedness. Our students learn to be critical thinkers who apply concepts, both in familiar and unfamiliar situations. They are taught to think for themselves by driving the learning process, are competent problem solvers and can handle unexpected situations.

Learning through practical real-world examples is unique and long lasting, enabling our students to be well prepared for the challenges of university learning, and to face life in the real world with confidence.

Stonehill strongly believes in taking students with potential, and supporting and nurturing them in their journey to academic excellence, regardless of the level that they started at. To know more about them, please visit Stonehill International School [SIS]

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May 26th saw an important occasion in the calendar of Stonehill International School – the graduation ceremony of their Grade 12 students. The ceremony was a beautiful and poignant, with encouraging speeches from Head of School, Dr. Beverly Sortland – Secondary Principal, Mr. Narendra Mehrotra – DP Coordinator, Ms. Manpreet Kaur and Chairman & Managing Director – Embassy Group, Mr. Jitu Virwani. The ceremony ended with an inspiring speech from the Valedictorian of the Class of 2018.

Accredited by the Council of International Schools [CIS] and the New England Association of Schools & Colleges [NEASC], Stonehill International School’s graduating students have been accepted into renowned universities in India and abroad. The Bengaluru based international school has a good number of this year’s graduating class getting into prestigious universities like MIT, Stanford University, London School of Economics, and more.

Over the years, the school has accomplished an illustrious record of placing its students in some of the best universities across India, USA, UK and Canada. VIT Vellore, Kings College, Simon Fraser University, Parsons and New York University are a few of the esteemed universities that Stonehill students have gotten accepted to.

StoneHill Class of 2018

Students who have made it to the top Universities across the Globe

  1. Shashank R – Stanford University [World Ranking#1] and he has decided to attend the same. He was selected for both Stanford and MIT but he has decided to attend Stanford. Excerpts of a Q&A session with Shashank that was recorded earlier is below

Q. Which colleges have you applied and from which colleges have you heard so far ?

A. Stanford, MIT, Georgia Tech, Michigan, USC, UNC Chapel Hill

Q. What are the three most important factors an applicant should consider while applying to high selective universities ?

A. Passionate involvement in extracurricular’s, good academic performance and finally, I think being genuine in essays [or otherwise] goes a long way.

Q. What challenges did you face while applying to Stanford and MIT ?

A. It’s hard to not get intimidated by all the applicants with perfect SAT scores and great grades, but it is important to keep reminding yourself that it is a holistic process. Each applicant is looked at in context.

Q. Some useful tips for your juniors ?

A. Make sure to understand everything you learn in class – truly understand every concept. Your teachers are your greatest resource. For interviews, make sure to ask your interviewer lots of questions about the school. They will help you determine fit.

  1. Vinicius DE Poula Souza – London School of Economics [World ranking#3 for Political Science]
  2. Dilsher Singh – Hong Kong University of Science and Technology [World Ranking#27] – Indian Student. Excerpts of a Q&A session with Dilsher that was recorded earlier is below

Q. Which college are you planning to attend and why ?

A. I plan to attend Hong Kong University of Science and Technology for Engineering studies. I am a hands on learner and hence practical approach to my learning has always been my focus while selecting universities. HKUST offers high quality research opportunities and huge scholarships opportunities as well.

Q. What did you highlight in your application ?

A. As I mentioned, I am a hands on learner, I learn by doing. I have highlighted that quality of mine in all my applications. I have particularly highlighted my journey of overcoming challenges with increasingly rigorous subject combinations throughout my high school days.

Q. What do you think contributes to attaining scholarship at college ?

A. There are many factors that need to be combined to earn a scholarship at university. Top notch grades coupled with genuine demonstration of interest in the field of study and evidence of success in school years are of prime importance to earn a good scholarship. Also, bringing versatility to your profile adds ample diversity to the incoming class and hence leads to a good scholarship.

Q. Some useful tips for your juniors ?

A. Start early !! Start Early !! “Early bird gets the worm”. I have learnt this through my application experience. There are going to be pitfalls and unexpected challenges during the process and time heals everything. So start early.

Q. One factor that every parent should consider in the application process ?

A. Parents are the greatest resource in this entire process. We often do not realize this and ignore their suggestions. Our parents know us better than anyone. Parents can give you insights on certain aspects of university life that we may not have anticipated. Partnering with parents during the application phase makes our life easier as they are our ultimate shock absorbents.

  1. Zoranuddin Syed – Zoranuddin has decided to go to McGill University. But he has received offers from Edinburgh and UBC as well.
  2. William Croke Martin – University of Toronto/McGill University [World ranking 12 and 26 respectively for Political Science]
  1. Ida Wardemark – Leiden University [World ranking 26 for International Relations] and many others have received equally impressive offers.

Quotes of some of the Distinguished Speakers are below

Jitu Virwani, Founder – Stonehill International School

Be compassionate and give back to those who are less privileged. Treating people with respect and kindness will go a long way. Be resilient to any setbacks that you will encounter in life. Always accept defeat positively and remember that setbacks are opportunities to get things right the next time. Be innovative in thought. Our world is changing so rapidly and for you to be successful, find ways to be innovative and Agile in thought and action. And finally, Have immense faith in yourself and be very grateful for what you have.

Dr. Beverly Sortland, Head of School – Stonehill International School

As you go forward, remember your common IB heritage. You are Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced and Reflective. Even though you share this background, each one of you is unique – there’s no one else like you.  Your own unique blend- the takeaways from your learning and experiences, your cultural background, family, your personality and characteristics – all of this is a gift you give to our world. So my advice is to enjoy and optimize this – go with the flow, see where life takes you. It’s okay not to have it all planned out in advance – this leaves the door open for opportunity.

Mr. Narendra Mehrotra, Secondary Principal – Stonehill International School

I hope your education at Stonehill has given you the skills to become excellent problem solvers, efficient communicators and, most importantly, lifelong learners. I would like to speak to you about the power of diversity and education. In a world that is constantly changing, now, more than ever, we are in need of global citizens that understand the necessity of diversity and the desire to learn from one another through success and failure. The true purpose of education is to help people understand and adapt to the world around them. By learning from each other, we allow for broader perspectives, more compassion and greater equality. We ensure that we not only celebrate our differences but also respect them. The diverse and multi-cultural community at Stonehill is a great example of what I am talking about.

Ms. Manpreet Kaur, IB DP Coordinator – Stonehill International School

Today, the door of opportunities lays open before you. Learn to make choices and follow your passion. You are going to fall down, but the world doesn’t care how many times you fall down as long as it is one lesser than the times you have got back on your feet. You are our Stonehill Tigers – you are prepared for all challenges!

About Stonehill International School

Spread over 34 acres, nestled 20 minutes away from the Bangalore airport, the Stonehill campus is spacious, purpose-built, safe and highly conducive to learning. The international school is fully accredited by CIS/NEASC and the Australian Boarding Schools Association. Students from age three through secondary school enjoy a state-of-the art campus that features extensive sports fields and facilities, two swimming pools, an equestrian centre, three boarding houses, two libraries, and a cafeteria. Stonehill offers education in a warm and friendly small school environment, where each student’s quest for individual excellence is a priority. The students and teachers at Stonehill come from India as well as over 35 different countries spanning the globe.

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Stonehill International School [SIS] hosted Ms. Marietheres Maier, Ms. Aya Goeorgieve, Ms. Irina Mitina and Ms. Christina Schoftner from the Music University of Vienna. These accomplished musicians were in India to perform with the India National Youth Orchestra and Chorus. The four of them are trained in western classical string orchestra and played the violin, viola and cello.

Image Source – StoneHill

The day began with the musicians from Vienna performing a variety of pieces to allow the audience to experience their lowest and highest registers as well as all the sounds in between, which the three string instruments can produce. After that, they performed Mozart’s Quartet, giving the audience a brief glimpse of heaven.

After this wonderful experience, two Stonehill Primary students played ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ and ‘Moon River’ on the violin. Ms. Maier and Ms. Goeorgieve decided to join the duo. After the performance, the experienced musicians gave the budding musicians feedback on their technique and played the pieces again with them.

Three Stonehill Secondary students gave the audience a wonderful instrumental performance using flutes and piano. Next, one of their Grade twelve students sang a jazz number. Her performance was so good that it got her an invitation to perform at the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music [ABRSM] high achievers concert in April! To allow the guests to get a brief glimpse of classical Indian culture, one of Stonehill’s Grade 9 students also performed a Bhartnatyam piece.

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Reaffirming its commitment towards transforming the education landscape, the government of Tamil Nadu today announced an agreement with Microsoft to improve the integration of technology in teaching and learning in the state. The partnership was announced by Shri K.A. Sengottaiyan, Minister for School Education, Government of Tamil Nadu at an event attended by academia and regulators. It aims to reform education, build tech capacity and enhance digital literacy across all levels.

As a part of the agreement, Microsoft will adopt seven schools identified by the government and train their teachers and students around building 21st century skills which includes critical thinking, creative coding & gaming, app development, robotics, and entrepreneurship. Microsoft will also offer its Microsoft Innovative Educator Program to all educators in primary, secondary, vocational and tertiary education across the state. Additionally, the company will train and provide a digital literacy certification District Education Officers [DEOs] in Tamil Nadu.

Talking of the agreement, Shri K.A. Sengottaiyan, Minister for School Education, Government of Tamil Nadu, said

We are committed to harnessing the power of the technology to reform education in Tamil Nadu and make our youth future-ready with the essential digital skills. We have a longstanding partnership with Microsoft and believe their expertise in this area makes them an ideal partner for our transformational initiatives.

Building educator capacity

Microsoft will provide resources, free tools & software, as well as online professional development specifically tailored for educators through its Partners in Learning Network.  The company has so far trained 48,000 teachers in Tamil Nadu on usage of ICT in education. From this skilled ecosystem, the company will now further train a set of 500 school teachers as ‘master trainers’ over next few months.

These master trainers will in turn enable  their peers state-wide. In addition to offering a fundamental understanding of computers and productivity software, the comprehensive Microsoft Teaching with Technology [TwT] Curriculum program will empower educators with a deeper knowledge of how technology integration can enhance the teaching and learning experience, equipping students with 21st-century skills. All educators of Tamil Nadu will be eligible to seek certification as Microsoft Certified Educators and apply for the elite Microsoft Expert Educator program.

Building administrator capacity

The company will also impart training to  District Education Officers [DEOs] over a the next few few months. The DEOs will further percolate  technology usage to the schools and staff  in their districts. The Digital Literacy Curriculum will be available both online and offline and provide the officers the opportunity to be internationally certified on various Microsoft Technologies.

Manish Prakash, Country General Manager – Public Sector, Health & Education, Microsoft India, said

At Microsoft we believe that education is the single-most important investment in the future of individuals, and key to the growth of a nation.  We are deeply invested in empowering India’s education ecosystem with technology, necessary for success in the 21st century.

The combination of quality content, partnerships, capacity building of teachers and administrators is as essential for this as access to technology We are delighted to continue our collaboration with the state of Tamil Nadu in this journey.

Through the last 12 years, Microsoft has been functioning as a key contributor in the area of education in Tamil Nadu.  Over 48,000 teachers have been trained under the Microsoft Shiksha program, which empowers government teachers by integrating computing into their teaching, creating a fun and interactive learning atmosphere for their students. Several of these educators have been recipients of ICT awards at the State and National level as well.

Through Project Saksham the company works with 15 universities in the region, enabling faculty to become ICT Champions who digitize their institutions, build technology-enabled content repositories and schedule online sessions. This is in addition to helping the government set up digital classrooms in the Presidency Girls Higher Secondary School, Egmore, and Govt. Model Girls Higher Secondary School, Triplicane.

In the last 10 years, Microsoft’s education, skill development, entrepreneurship and digital literacy programs have touched over 5 crore people across India. Project Shiksha, has trained over 780,000 teachers and reached over 3.9 million students in India since its launch in 2002, Project Saksham has conducted trainings for over 3,307 educators across 123 universities. 238 educators from India joined the Microsoft Innovative Educator program in FY17.

They are part of the 7600-educator strong global MIE community and work closely with Microsoft to lead innovation in education. Microsoft has invested over INR 670 crore in not-for-profit programs such as YouthSpark, BizSpark, Imagine Cup and Partners in Learning in India in the last decade alone.

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A lot has been said about the Narendra Modi government’s efforts to integrate information technology as an indispensable part of citizens’ lives. But IT brings with it, its own challenges. One of them is data security. In an increasingly digitized world, our vulnerability to the misuse of personal, professional, even national security data is a big issue.

While IT is playing a dominant role in the country’s economy, a key question being raised is: Is digital India prepared enough to combat the red eye of cyber security threat ?

Image Source – Security

We have to admit that white-collar crime has evolved into a smarter avatar in the last 5 years or so. Even on the terrorism front, India is witnessing a moment of change from the operational perspective as the country’s confidential data faces challenges of vulnerability in the cyberspace from international cyber goons.

While the government’s recent demonetization move, brings with it a huge opportunity for digital commerce, it throws up new challenges. As India moves slowly towards the goal of a cashless economy, there is bound to be a large numbers of ‘first timers’ whose lack of familiarity with technology, might result in security compromises and data leakages. We need to be equipped to handle the eventuality.

With the recent escalation of threats from neighbouring countries and incidents of ATM/debit card data breach, the Government is setting up a cyber security research and development fund of Rs 1,000 crore to be spend over the next five years. It will be administered by a Committee headed by the National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval.

Why it Matters

The Ponemon Institute, which conducts independent research on privacy, data protection and information security, recently reported that the average cost of global cyber breach has reached as much as USD 3.8 million. With reports of data breaches every other day, most of them leading to grave financial losses, it’s time to sit up and take note of the threat. People and organizations are nowadays becoming increasingly concerned about the rampant use of IT networks for spying, data leakage, or other similar threats, capable of putting their reputation at stake.

To combat this, there is today, a growing demand for trained IT security professionals. Data security is fast becoming a promising career option and training in this field is growing hugely in importance. Corporates as well as government organizations are now hiring data security experts for tasks such as fixing internal security loopholes, clinical investigation of computer frauds, outlining data security and networking fundamentals for organizations, remote firewall management and security auditing for standard management of IT systems.

Protecting Data

Protecting computer networks from illegal attempts of accessing personal or business-related information on the internet requires a lot of expertise. Recently, two apex educational bodies-the University Grant Commission [UGC] and All India Council for Technical Education [AICTE] have proposed that Indian universities and institutions introduce Cyber Information Security as a subject at undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Graduates with a degree in computer science or engineering may opt for full-time or short-term courses, degrees and diplomas in cyber information security and network administration. Many academic institutions, in the recent past, have based their IT courses on internationally-renowned certifications like CompTIA.

An international certification as a data security expert can do wonders for a career in this domain. Such certifications are much sought after, today. An IT certification in data security enhances skills of individuals willing to enter this field, or professionals looking for customized knowledge, and thus help create an employable workforce with industry-relevant skills.

CompTIA Security+ certification, for instance, is a vendor-neutral certification dealing with key data security concepts such as application, data & host security; threats and vulnerabilities, compliance, identity control and cryptography. This certification is widely acclaimed by hiring managers as a great certification for a newbie or someone having about a year’s experience in network technologies.

With the upcoming release of their Cybersecurity Analyst [CSA+] certification in 2017, CompTIA is looking forward to provide an advanced logical progression in career pathway of people who have already done the Security+ course. CompTIA also has CASP [CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner] for senior security practitioners responsible for enterprise security, research and analysis.

Growing Specialization

With cyber-crime on the rise, the need for qualified professionals to protect data is on the rise.  In fact, data security is one of the fastest growing specializations in IT. You have chances of growth opportunities after just a few years of experience. When it comes to remuneration, cyber security specialists make almost 10% more money than their IT peers, states a recent job intelligence report. However, salaries may vary according to individual skill sets, experience, and geographic location of the employer.

Qualification Needed

Cyber security experts may come from diverse set of backgrounds that don’t necessarily include IT. Working in data security requires an analytical mind to solve data loss issues and design methodologies for preventing breaches. As a professional in this field, your job duties will involve ensuring data encryption, monitoring access to data, disaster recovery of important data and maintaining consistency in data security. Besides these, your responsibilities  will be also be to identify risk, participate in risk mitigation activities, provide infrastructure, application, information and operational security, apply security controls to maintain confidentiality, integrity and availability of data, troubleshoot security events and incidents and operate with an awareness of applicable policies, laws and regulations.

Opportunities & Prospects

Data security is among the most sought-after profession in the tech sector right now, outpacing demand for other IT-related jobs. CompTIA’s International Trends in Cyber Security research reveals that nearly 8 out of 10 managers responsible for network data protection expect data security to become a higher priority for their companies over the next few years. Persons interested in a career in this field may pursue their job profile as an ethical hacker, security administrator, cyber policy analyst, information security architect, data security analyst or specialist, information technology officer, or even cyber security consultant.

Besides, this Information security is a skill which is applicable in all segments of the industry. One can be an Information Security Specialist employed in an IT company, BFSI, retail, government and myriad of other industry segments. Since every organization today deals with electronic data, safety of the same becomes crucial and leads to a huge requirement of generic information and cyber security specialists.

The Road Ahead

According to a report compiled by Burning Glass technologies, postings for cyber security related jobs grew as much as 74% between 2007 and 2013 around the world. According to Forbes magazine, the cyber security job market is expected to grow to over $170 billion in the next 4 years. With netizens of world coming together as a result of digital convergence, we need more reliable communication and information security systems, almost everywhere. Today, there are international companies [like CompTIA] working overtime to eliminate the widening gap in the data security workforce.

Data security decisions can create sustainable impact on business operations. As a matter of fact, only companies with protected knowledge and resources can enhance their businesses efficiently. Training young professionals to work in this domain is the need of the hour and there are opportunities galore in this field. In fact, cyber security experts are today the new ‘super heroes’ of most organizations.

Pradipto Chakrabarty is the Regional Director, CompTIA, the voice of the world’s information technology industry. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, professional certifications and public policy advocacy. You can view his profile here

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Technopak and Simplilearn, a leading global Ed-tech company, have jointly published a report titled Technopak & Simplilearn Whitepaper on the Digital Learning Market in India. Covering the most significant trends expected to impact the digital learning landscape in India. The report highlights that the online professional education market globally is expected to exceed US$ 9 Billion by 2020, growing at compound annual growth [CAGR] of 14% from 2016 ~ 2020.

Rapidly Growing Ed-Tech Sector : Online Certification Training

With the growing demand for skilled talent in the IT industry today, the report highlights that working professionals are increasingly looking to enhance their employability by up-skilling with online certification training in emerging technologies like Big Data, Cloud Computing and Sales-force, Project Management, Mobile App Development and Digital Marketing.  Technological advancements in the IT industry has raised awareness about certification training, which is reinvigorating the Indian online professional education space.

Emerging Learning Trends : Gamification, Augmented & Virtual Reality

The report also indicates emerging trends and forecasts the gamification of learning and simulation as well as the implementation of augmented and virtual reality in education. It states that the global market size of simulation-driven learning is ~US$ 4.4 billion. With a share of 0.25%, the simulation based learning market in India is estimated to be worth US $13 Million in FY-16 and is predicted to grow at a CAGR of over 100% in the next 4-5 years.

Aurobindo Saxena, Vice President at Technopak Advisors says

Skilling is one of India’s most critical needs today. However, given the pace of development, there’s a growing realization that skilling needs to be seen from the perspective of lifelong learning. Digital-Learning and online certifications open up a gamut of options for students looking to enter both traditional and non-traditional fields. It also makes learning more interactive, personalized and self-paced. Students get access to world class content, faculty, pedagogy and certification – anytime, anywhere and at a much affordable cost.

According to Technopak’s analysis, India’s digital learning market is currently estimated at US$ 2 Billion, growing at a CAGR of 30% and is expected to reach US$ 5.7 Billion by 2020. There’s a huge demand emerging from working professionals as well to re-skill themselves. This rapid demand is supported by the increasing requirement of skills such as data analysis, project management and digital marketing.

Krishna Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of Simplilearn said

The whitepaper summarizes the different growth drivers of the Indian digital learning market, along with the opportunities and challenges they bring for the online education service providers. Keeping in mind the current skill-gap and the advances in Ed-tech, it’s indeed exciting to see how online certifications have opened up a gamut of opportunities for students and professionals in a world where technologies are changing every few years.

Technopak education analysts also highlighted the various factors that are contributing to the growth of the digital-learning market in India:

  • Increasing integration of world economies
  • Rise in Internet penetration in India
  • Reduction in prices leading to rise in ownership of mobile devices
  • Rising aspiration for world class education backed by willingness to pay for it
  • Government focus & support

Internet and digital penetration

India currently has 462 million internet users with a penetration of 35%. This growth is driven by the adoption of mobile internet, with 65% of internet traffic originating from mobile devices. With programs such as the Digital India Initiative, digital literacy and penetration is projected to increase significantly in the next few years.

MOOC enrollment

India has the second largest MOOC user base after the US and its rapid expansion means that an increasing number of courses have a majority of people from India. Being affordable and accessible, MOOCs are helping address the quantity and quality education gaps in India by supporting traditional classrooms.

Government Support

The government of India’s Digital India initiative is a flagship programme that envisions to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. Around 20+ new initiatives have been launched to widen the scope of the Digital India Programme to include projects in the areas of digital infrastructure, digital empowerment, on-demand government services and promotion of industry with the aims of universal digital literacy and universally accessible digital resources.

The report further outlines that while there are positive trends regarding the adoption of Digital Learning in India, lack of content in regional languages and poor internet connectivity in smaller towns and semi-urban areas poses the key impediment towards widespread adoption of this technology-driven learning.

Technopak & Simplilearn Whitepaper on the Digital Learning Market in India can be downloaded from here

About Technopak

Technopak is a leading management consulting firm which has built and enhanced business capabilities with integrated strategy, performance enhancement, due diligence and process improvement solutions for leading Indian and international companies. The team currently consists of 100+ skilled professionals from leading Indian and international institutes. Most of the consultants have hands-on industry experience in their fields of specialization and represent a wide variety of functional backgrounds. Technopak is a member of the Ebeltoft Group, a network of international experts with a presence in 24 countries. For more information, please visit Technopak

About Simplilearn

Simplilearn is the world’s largest provider of short term certification courses that addresses the unique learning needs of working professionals. Having trained over 4,00,000 professionals worldwide,  Simplilearn provides unmatched customer experience, which handholds a customer – right from enrolling into an online course to getting Industry-recognized certificate in hand.  Simplilearn’s course contents are recognized by over 40 certification bodies, prominent ones being PMI, Axelos, Scrum Alliance, Peoplecert, and The Open Group. Simplilearn has also diversified into vendor certification like those from Microsoft, Cisco, and Salesforce. For more information, please visit SimpliLearn

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Shirsa Labs, an Ed-tech startup has raised USD 250K angel capital funding through ah! Ventures, a startup focused growth catalyst bridging ideas and money. Founded in 2013 by Sukhada Tendulkar & Mandar Desai, Shirsa Labs uses online engagement platform Planet of GUI to entertain and educate children mainly in the age group of 6-13. The deal was solely advised and syndicated by ah! Ventures and led to closure on its private equity investment platform, CLUBah

Shirsa Labs is India’s first dedicated content driven engagement learning platform for kids. Shirsa aims to stimulate the intellectual and learning skills of children by using a healthy combination of online and offline interactive methods.

It has multiple games, worksheets, videos, DIYs which engages kids and boosts their cognitive learning. Each offering is crafted using the most recent findings from the field of child development. Every child undergoes a free assessment and is provided with a detailed report on his/her cognitive profile with a customized program. This program is scheduled for kids to play 30 minutes a day and 3/4 times a week. A detailed quarterly report is sent to the parents to help them monitor child’s progress on the platform.

Sukhada Tendulkar, Co-Founder & CEO of Shirsa Labs said

In the larger context of children’s growth and development, we strongly felt that there is a huge open space where significant value can be created for children, parents and educators. Kids love play online, parents want actionable information and educators can teach better when children are motivated. We have connected these points and want Shirsa Labs to be a collaborator in this exciting eco-system that must work together.

Sukhada sees Shirsa Labs as a new category creator which she calls “enter-cation”; derived from ‘entertainment and education’.

Sukhada adds

Children today are exposed to multiple gadgets and online medium. There was a fight for my television time with my mom and today the exact same thing is happening for the gadget and internet time. The digital native generation deserves a better solution to the problem and we are here for all those young kids who love playing online.

Mandar Desai, Co-Founder & CFO of Shirsa Labs, further elucidates

Parents can be assured that children are safe on our platforms. We have the best content from across the world. Partnered with biggies like NatGeo, Discovery, and many more, gives us an access to tons of content which is loved by kids. Child safety is our utmost priority. Our scalability & real life connect positions us uniquely to deliver significant value to the young ones.

Through the online Economy, Children earn Geekos [the currency on the platform] which they spend to buy uniquely matched stuff from the platform. As we understand the child more on the platform through analytics, we generate insights and personalized recommendations for parents.

Kunal Ambasht, Director & COO, Shirsa Labs said

Its proposition philosophy is based on the most recent researches in India and other countries that agree on one common finding about the key role motivation plays in learning outcomes of children. Learning is the foundation of multiple cognitive skills and learning styles. Non-school based solution which complements the learning at schools for K1 to K8.

Our team is an interesting cohort of artists, technologists, educators and business professionals. All of us are driven by a common passion for providing equal opportunity for learning and development to children from a wide spectrum of social and economic background.

Shirsa has developed a multi-pronged approach to attract children using a personalized story-line, engage parents with quantified reporting and involve educational institutions with goal based co-curriculum lab solutions. Both virtual and real world tools have been utilized to create a comprehensive product for the three stakeholders mentioned above.

Manuel Fernandes, the Tech wizard at Shirsa Labs adds

Technology, smartphones, internet and data analytics are the most powerful tools at our disposal today. Used intelligently, they provide us an unprecedented opportunity for creating engaging products across multiple platforms and hence reaching out to millions.

The startup will use this round of funding to strengthen its team further and are in talks with senior industry people for the same. Shirsa aims to make Planet of Gui app, number 1 in edutainment category in India. With its flagship product the startup is eyeing at the entire global market. This is a global platform and team Shirsa is committed to reach to maximum potential.

Giving an investor’s perspective, Harshad Lahoti, Founder & CEO of ah! Ventures said

The market that Shirsa is targeting is phenomenally large. India has over 100 million students enrolled in K1- K8 which is almost 20 to 200 times that of US and UK respectively. Besides, evidence of increasing enrollment in private schools in rural India – from 18% in 2006 to 25% in 2011 to over 30% today – is proof enough that even rural India is exploring newer and innovative avenues of teaching and learning. This coupled with the fact that Shirsa has over 70,000+ registered students, access to over 2,000+ schools and unique content sharing partnership with the likes of NatGeo, Discovery and others have made a compelling case for investment for the CLUB ah! investors. ah! Ventures is thrilled to be a part of this journey.

This deal was concluded through ah! Ventures’ private equity investment platform, CLUB ah!. CLUB ah! is India’s first full-spectrum startup investment network and platform comprising of over 500 investors, including some of the renowned angels and early-stage VCs.

CLUB ah! platform today has over 4500+ startups, 465+ seed/angel investors and over 65 VCs & institutional investors, making it one of the largest platform of investors and startups. The network also recently secured its first profitable exit from Ed-tech venture Harness Handitouch within 2 years of its investment. CLUB ah! has till date invested close to INR 60 crores in over 20 startups spread across varied industries and domains, including Shirsa Labs.

Shirsa will be the second Ed-tech startup in recent times that ah! Ventures has helped raised capital for apart from iDreamCareer. Previously they have also invested in many other Ed-tech ventures like LogicRoots, TestBook, uFaber and Harness Handitouch.

ah! Ventures is in the process of closing 3 more deals in the coming weeks.

About Shirsa

Shirsa Labs, based on the latest findings about child learning & stimulation, has built an after-school world especially for children where learning is fun and personalized. Planet of Gui got its name from Joy Paul Guilford whose theory “Structure of Intellect” was a major breakthrough that lead to impacts on schools, teachers and parents around the world. For more information, please refer Shirsa labs

|In: Education|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Learnpedia, a leading provider of digital platform for competitive exam aspirants have announced the launch of two mobile apps for students preparing for JEE and medical entrance exams – ScoreJEE and ScorePMT.

The ScoreJEE/ ScorePMT is a comprehensive test-prep tool aimed at addressing learning gaps of students that may arise due to missed lectures, incomplete concept clarity and uneven pace of learning. It is designed to act as a perfect complement to classroom learning while enhancing the learning experience of students preparing for JEE/ PMT. Hitherto ScoreJEE and ScorePMT were available in three variants – i) Web interface ii) Web + offline via SD Card for Android based devices iii) Web + Pen Drive for Windows based systems.

Learnpedia

ScoreJEE/ ScorePMT Mobile Apps is the next step in the direction of reaching out to more users and enriching the experience of those already on board. Students can access video lectures, track performance with special tools, clear doubts and take up challenging assignments that stimulate the mind. They can now stay connected 24*7 with these Mobile Apps. Students can buy the entire course or buy only selected chapter/s. ScoreJEE and ScorePMT Mobile Apps are available for download on Google Play-store [Download Link]

ScoreJEE/ ScorePMT Mobile App Features

  • Prep Kit – 4000+ videos simplifying all concepts in every subject
  • Drill Machine – 15,000 + Practice Questions
  • Test-Agavanza – 1,200 + tests with hints and video solutions to boost your confidence
  • Content Recommendations – Based on performance, appropriate recommendations will be made
  • Advancedge – 4,000 hand-picked questions from papers of the last 25 years with video solutions & short-cuts
  • Detailed Analytics – Get analysis of strength & weakness based on your attempt pattern across multiple tests
  • Interactive Game Based Learning – Stimulating features to keep you charged up
  • Doubts Forum – Post those nagging doubts and get them clarified
  • Quick Cheat – Notes that quickly recap the class discussions

Krishna Rao Akula, Founder & CEO, Learnpedia Edutech said

India has over 60 lakh students preparing to write JEE and PMT across Classes XI and XII. While the role of the coaching institutes in preparing students for such competitive exams cannot be undermined, there are a few drawbacks in the traditional coaching methods. We have created ScoreJEE & ScorePMT keeping these in mind, ensuring that the students have the most stress-free and meticulous approach to test-prep.

Our research says that 40% of the JEE aspirants drop out of active preparation in Class XII due to sheer non-comprehension of concepts. We have therefore focused on conceptual clarity as our key strength. No other product today offers such comprehensive coverage of curriculum.

Narahari Penumatcha, COO of the company added

The potential for web and mobile based learning is immense. Thanks to the growing internet penetration and the Rs.1.13 trillion Digital India initiative, India’s e-learning sector is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 17.4% between 2013 and 2018, twice as fast as the global average.

The smartphone industry in India is a growing market with almost a third of all Indian mobile users expected to own a smartphone by 2017. Our target group is undoubtedly among the early advocates of smartphone technology. Our mobile apps helps them stay in control over their test prep while making the learning experience fascinating.

About Learnpedia Edutech Pvt Ltd

Learnpedia enables cost-effective personalized self-learning by offering highly stimulating digital content available through online and offline medium to augment performance in competitive exams. Learnpedia is currently looking for next round of investment to scale its business. For more information, please refer Learnpedia

[Image Source* – FreshersWorld]