It is should be taken as a sign of deterioration of our education system that a whole new industry of tutoring and coaching have cropped up beside it. The intolerance to admit and accept so-called mediocrity and a burning hunger for excelling at everything; even in education has brought us to this point. A point where even learning has to be won. It might seem like an exaggeration; since tutoring courses, can be for students who lag in school but the true nature of deployment of the educational courses can be experienced by those who still currently are in schools and colleges.
Maybe, the increasing population is to blame. The running joke about the feud between baby boomers and Gen Z summarises this argument in the best way possible. Perhaps, times have changed for the worse.
To succeed in life is a logical desire that many individuals aim for. Naturally and without intending ill, parents have invested their children into areas of interest that carry high prestige and a higher probability of success. Companies have found a way to capitalise on the worry.
WhiteHat Jr
India had set its remarkable reputation in the IT industry. Since its onset, many have set foot inside the industry. The age bar of learning how to code has been dropping as understanding high-level programming languages makes one sound intelligent and sophisticated. Terms like coding remind people of vaguely associated terms like Silicon Valley, technology and in connection; money. No wonder, ads like those produced by WhiteHat Jr seemed to be so influential.
The specific ad in consideration is called “Coding Seekho, Duniya Badlo” (Trans: Learn Coding, Change the World). It is a musical performance by child actors with appealing graphics and an oversimplified explanation of what coding is actually like.
Toppr
Toppr’s ad is a standard common template for a tutoring/coaching app ad. It is what one should come to expect from these companies.
The school bell rings and the school begins. The schooling environment which ideally expects students to be obedient and obey isn’t keen on changing the course of education anytime soon. As the kid explains, some children pick up on the lessons; others don’t. A natural by-product of a system that wasn’t reverse-engineered from skills that are required in real life. This is why they assert using their app for additional help.
Byju’s
As a whole industry of tutoring/coaching apps has emerged; Byju’s knows they need to stand out in their advertising and services to excel in a capitalist society.
Whether they are genuinely ignorant or not is up for debate. Though, they have assumed that the presence and fright incited by a single teacher during school hours isn’t enough for a child’s learning. Thus, they stress the importance of replicating teaching in the presence of two teachers instead of a single one.
Projecting the naive interpretation of a parent for their failure of a child in academics; Shah Rukh Khan; the prominent brand ambassador for Byju’s sings about the child’s assumed problem and offers an explanation to the worried parents.
A common misconception but rather a hope that germinates inside all school students; is that college life and everything beyond it would be easier and less stressful.
Upgrad
Undeniably, the pressures of succeeding in life are heaviest during the time in and after college; as one is expected to join the workforce. Most are usually clueless as to the guy in the ad.
A man notices a fortune-teller’s van from a distance. Hesitantly, he enters the van only to find an ass in an aesthetic environment. Understanding that the owner of the animal and presumed fortune teller isn’t around; he turns to leave. He stopped from leaving by a voice and turns around to find out it is the animal. As he is enquiring about his future; the ass asks him about his past. As he starts mentioning his qualification, he gets mocked by the ass. However, as soon as he mentions his qualification from Upgrad, its expression changes and it declares that the man indeed has a bright future ahead of him.
Unacademy
We do have provisions for higher education in our country, but the resources are unfairly distributed. This is also another area where private companies have an upper hand over the established education system.
A girl who happens to be living in a remote part of India; runs a small eating house. She labours most of her hours in the day; by preparing and serving food to the customers. She is also an aspirant for an important competitive exam. Therefore, when she receives a notification for her class; on Unacademy of course; she leaves her work behind, settles in the quietness of her car and logs into her class to study.
