In Chandravasan Supa village in Gujarat, Bhanu Ben is a busy grandmother. Living with her son and daughter-in-law, she supports them with household chores while they are away at work. But off-late, her most important priority has been keeping track of her granddaughter’s educational journey. And she does this with new-found energy and zest…thanks to EdTech!

Bhanu’s granddaughter Priyanshi is a Class 7 student at Chadravasan Primary School. The 12-year-old’s understanding of schoolwork had been limited for a long time. However, with BEI’s involvement in the field through its EdTech partner ConveGenius, the transformation has seen a steady improvement. Bhanu’s gentle nudges and reminders every day have made the biggest difference. 

It all started with Priyanshi using her father’s mobile phone to access ConveGenius’ EdTech app. But, it takes more than mere access to EdTech for students to realise the potential of the opportunities available to them. Having an invested and compassionate adult at home can determine how far a child goes in leveraging their resources.

In our conversations with Bhanu, she reveals that her granddaughter always scored in single digits earlier during her weekly tests on the ConveGenius app. “2,3,4…the marks were always around this,” she says. The change happened once Priyanshi started leveraging the app at home. Bhanu was also able to sit with her during these after-school sessions. This is when the grandmother realised that while Priyanshi was a regular student at school, her understanding of lessons was far from desirable. 

That adult participation plays an important role in a child’s learning process is widely undisputed and even proven by BEI’s own field experience. Hyper-local support and dedicated learning routines have indicated a significant shift in student onboarding and engagement across cohorts. 

Bhanu’s involvement with Priyanshi went from keeping tabs on her granddaughter’s school work to ensuring her scores in the weekly tests improved. EdTech made it easier for Bhanu herself to understand the learning outcomes for Priyanshi. The interaction on the EdTech app also made it simpler for Bhanu to see Priyanshi’s understanding of her lessons. The immediate results, presented lucidly and simply with the help of technology, have ensured that Bhanu, despite her inabilities, can keep herself updated. 

The latest ASER Report (2022) opines that as they grow older, children should become more independent learners, spending less time with a teacher and more time with resource persons in-person and online. It further indicates that learning the skills and methods of learning is the most important thing for this age group, as opposed to memorising. By ensuring equitable access to effective EdTech solutions at scale, BEI helps underprivileged children acquire these skills in various ways. It also worked well that the resistance to technology started to abate with the pandemic. This was also when it accelerated parents’ and teachers’ capability and need to access online resources/courses.

The championing of these first-time digital learners by at-home compassionate adults is most endearing for one reason. Many of these adults have never had the opportunity for education themselves. But, with EdTech, this is not an invisible barrier anymore. With the involvement of her grandmother in her daily studies, Priyanshi is motivated and interested to learn and engage on the EdTech platforms. She is also ensured access to devices, and this renewed accountability reassures her teachers at school.