Studies show that at least 90% students in India, whether from government, private or international schools require after-school tuitions. Home tutoring has often been thought of as a tool of the elite or those with big bucks to shell out. GenextStudents, touted to be India's first hybrid tutoring platform, fuses technology combined with dedicated Tutorpreneurs or tutor partners to deliver a personalised education at home.
The brainchild of Ali Asgar Kagzi, a native of Rajasthan with a degree in Marketing Strategy from the London School of Economics (LSE), was inspired by the interactive fusion of technology into academics to educate and inspire.
Genext, with at least 4,000 tutors across Pune and Mumbai aims to impact lives through education in India by combining personalised education with tutors. Genext has made acquiring a tutor for a child much easier while delivering their service to their homes. Tutors are assessed and graded on the app by parents and students making it direct and transparent.
However, unlike the imposing Indian education system, tutors here are selected based on the requirements and specifications of parents and children.
Unlike tuition classes, which ring with the monotony of rote learning and little room for questions, doubts or individual attention, a Tutorpreneur gives their undivided attention to the child in his comfort zone. " What we're doing is personalising content that can be catered to each child by a home tutor depending on their demography and lifestyle," says Kagzi.
"The app is a driver of this technology, it helps find tutors, match student-tutor criteria, assessment of the tutors etc. We also have a tutor rating algorithm. Technology helps us keep a track of the tutor, attendance, classes etc. It makes management easier, however, the tutoring is done in person. "Communication is a very important part and we also stress on the language of the teacher," says Kagzi.
A Tutorpreneur, says Ali, can be anyone with a passion and desire to teach. They could be graduates, home-makers, even retired professionals. While artificial intelligence seems like the next big thing, Genext stresses on emotional intelligence. "We've had parents who wanted young teachers who could, apart from academics, also help groom their child and cater to their emotional needs," he says.
To Kagzi, the online platform is not just a form of educational outreach but also one to create a social impact more so for the tutors.
An impactful solution would be a combination of technology where it enables human actions in terms of the teacher. That is our philosophy, adds Ali Asgar Kagzi.