Edtech’s got some soul-searching to do

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Hello readers,

Growing up, I’d never been a great student – my report card was pretty much a love letter to my failures in Mandarin Chinese and the sciences, and teachers often called me a dreamer. If only online classes had been the way of the world then. While that’s the reality for students in India and Indonesia today, edtech has presented its own set of opportunities and challenges.

Today we look at,

• Why edtech might need to be reexamined as it powers ahead
• A Malaysian peer-to-peer startup’s US$20 million funding
• Other newsy highlights such as Shopee’s venture into Brazil and a Chinese self-driving startup’s fresh funds

PREMIUM SUMMARY

Unpacking edtech’s moving parts

Pre-recorded videos, an abundance of reading material, and the freedom to attend classes remotely: For students in India and Indonesia, such is the order of things in the new normal. While it sounds well and good on paper, the limitations of edtech are quickly becoming apparent. Could it merely reinforce a culture of systematic education, and are students really paying attention in virtual school?

• All for edtech: Technology is an equalizer – a vehicle that offers everyone equal access to quality education. But it can just as easily adopt the malaises of traditional education, such as the reliance on rote memorization, which has long been the case in Indonesia’s public schools. On the other hand, edtech can help expand a teacher’s horizon of influence and connect with students, regardless of geographical location.
• Winner takes all: Edtech firms are finding novel ways of capturing and retaining children’s attention. Indonesia’s Ruangguru, which has over 23 million registered users from ASEAN countries, uses AI to generate recommendations for users and has virtual pets that double up as study companions through its app.
• A hybrid future: Edtech looks to be shifting toward a hybrid model – and India’s largest edtech firm, Byju’s, is leading the way with its acquisition of offline tutoring center Aakash. After all, virtual classrooms can’t replicate the different communication skills picked up in real life, such as societal team building or behavioral cues in an actual classroom.

Read more: Edtech needs to do some soul-searching as it powers ahead

STARTUP SPOTLIGHT

P2P financing platform CapBay scores US$20m

CapBay – a Malaysian multibank supply chain finance company and peer-to-peer (P2P) financing platform – has secured US$20 million in a series A round from KK Fund, its existing investor and a Singapore-based VC firm. Other unnamed angel investors also participated in the round.

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