“A good education is a foundation for a better future” – Elizabeth Warren.

We live in an era where having smart cities is not enough if we want to reap the demographic dividend. Having ‘Smart Classes’ for schools is a prerequisite if we want the kids of India to have a bright future. And as they say, the foundation of a bright future lies in good education; we need to raise the standard of education we provide in schools.

Smart classes for schools are required to bridge the gap between offline and online learning. The online classes are an integral component of school education these days. Even after Covid-19 is over, traditional learning and e-learning can go hand by hand if we incorporate an effective system of smart classes for schools. Of late, to make this transition smooth, School Enterprise Resource Planning (School ERP) system has been penetrating the education sector.

WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE SMART CLASSES FOR SCHOOLS?

Various reputed organisations, including the World Economic Forum (WEF), support the fact that online learning can be more effective compared to offline learning in ways more than one:

  • Better retention: Research shows that students retain 25-60% more during online learning compared to 8-10% in a physical classroom.
  • Faster learning: e-learning requires 40-60% less time in learning compared to traditional offline learning.
  • Customised learning: Students can learn at their own pace; they can go back and revise a concept by accessing the recorded class or e-learning material anytime anywhere.
  • Better cognition: As students have a better engagement involving all the senses and thought process in e-learning, their cognition gets accentuated.

THE CHANGING FACE OF EDUCATION

It is evident that this pandemic has disrupted the traditional education system that many assert is no longer relevant. Schools continue to focus on the development of IQ, memorisation and favour rote learning rather than skills such as critical thinking and adaptability. Our education system is in crisis today. We need to equip it with smart and modern tools so as to welcome the new ways of learning that are required by kids to face the challenges of the 21st century. Having said that, the shift needs to be seamless and smooth with a minimal negative impact on the learning of children. Let’s discuss if School Enterprise Resource Planning (School ERP) can be the catalyst to speed up and smoothen this transition.

SCHOOL ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (School ERP)

School ERP is a management software that can be used by schools to manage the day-to-day operations and learning process even when the teachers are working from, and the students are learning at home via digital school or e-learning mediums. It connects the various departments and enhances the efficiency of the stakeholders by automating the processes.

When a good ERP system is implemented in the school, all the stakeholders have centralised access via dashboard at the tips of their fingers anytime, anywhere. Teachers can track their students’ progress; parents can have information about their kids’ activities in real-time; students can provide their feedback and submit their assignments online. This enhances the communication between all the stakeholders, which is key to any organisation’s success.

In addition to these, there are many activities schools can easily manage with the help of a smart school ERP system in place. Few of those activities are admissions, course & curriculum, fees & payments, students, attendance, library, employee database, transportation services, and many more.

THE FUTURE OF INDIAN EDUCATION

The pandemic made clear that dissemination of education across cities, borders, and countries is vital. Therefore, it is incumbent upon our generation to explore the full potential of online e-learning by adapting to smart classes and School ERP systems. These are the future of Indian education system because these will enhance productivity as well as the efficiency of a broken traditional education system.