By Shalini S. Sharma
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Kaplan University is going to be “acquired” by Purdue University. Source: collegetransfer.net
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A couple of recent developments in the for-profit education space in the United States should come as a warning as well as a lesson for proponents of this kind of system of education in India or elsewhere. Not that there is any danger or likelihood of the charitable tag being taken away from this sector in India, but taking cognizance of danger signals from other shores is still a good habit. The Apollo Education Group, which owns the Phoenix University, has been in financial trouble for the past couple of years, and they have apparently also invested in the university of a big media group, here in India. The Laureate Group is perhaps the only for-profit education set-up which is still holding ground. Others are folding up, one after the other. The latest to be put up for sale, and getting acquired by non-profits are the Kaplan Group and the Arts Institutes. The Kaplan University is “being purchased” by Purdue University after it got a nod from the government for this arrangement though there are several who are crying foul that this might just be an arrangement to evade taxes or get funding from the government.
Then there are a couple of coding “bootcamps” which are also shutting shop. The Iron Yard in South Carolina and Dev Bootcamp in San Francisco have closed down recently. The former had investment from the Apollo Education Group while the latter had money of the Kaplan Group. Everywhere the issue is of declining enrolments and dwindling profits. Grim signs there for India too.
But for now, things are moving in the reverse direction in India. Pearson India, which has been toying with this idea for at least a decade, has taken the plunge now and decided to launch virtual international school for K-12, called the International Connections Academy. It will be run on the US model of education, impart accredited US education and grant certificates which will be recognized in the US. Pearson has been a major player in education globally as well as in India. With a significant market share of text books and reference books, the group did make a foray in the brick and mortar school segment by setting up a chain of schools which were acquired from other existing players. But this time it is trying to do something different. The virtual school will be outside the purview or jurisdiction of Indian regulatory authorities such as Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or the state regulatory boards. How many takers will there be for this US-ified education set-up and how sustainable will this be, remains to be seen.
A 3-D challenge
Ultimaker 3D printers
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Teachers in India have an opportunity to win a high quality 3-D printer for their schools. A company from Germany which is into making of 3-D printers, called Ultimaker, has thrown a challenge to teachers to create innovative lesson plans involving the use of 3-D printing technology. This will be a multi-nation contest, open to educators from Australia, India, New Zealand, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Phillippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. A vast field that. The last date to submit entries has been extended to October 30 on popular demand. It would be interesting to see which country’s teachers win this competition. For a change they will be on the other side of the table.
Game for a new beginning
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Students practicing kendo at Nippon Sports University in Japan. Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art form which is derived from swordsmanship and makes use of bamboo swords and protective armour.
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A neglected area of education so far, study of sports as a science is gaining popularity slowly but steadily in India. Next month, coinciding with the arrival of the Commonwealth Games 2018 torch in New Delhi, a clutch of Australian organisations – the games next year are going to be held in Melbourne – is going to organize a series of events in Delhi. Some of these will focus around sports education since Australia, and Gold Coast in particular, has a number of higher education institutes which specialize in this.
In India, there are institutes dedicated for this, but none which can be easily recognizable, other than the national sports academies run by the government. Interestingly, out of 15 memorandums of understanding (MoU) signed with Japan during the recent visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at least four were related to sports education. And Japan has a full-fledged corporate university dedicated to sports. It is called the Nippon Sports Science University and has joined hands with Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education in India.
(The writer is a freelance journalist)
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