New Delhi, 23 December: The government on Thursday issued an advisory to citizens regarding taking precautions against EdTech companies.
Considering the massive impact of technology in education, numerous EdTech companies have started offering courses, tutorials, coaching for competitive exams, etc. in online mode. In this background, parents, students and all stakeholders of school education need to be careful while choosing online content and coaching offered by a host of EdTech companies.
The Education Ministry said in a statement, โMost importantly, the free services that are promised by some companies should be carefully evaluated. It has come to the notice of the Department of School Education and Literacy that some EdTech firms are luring parents in the guise of offering free services and signing the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) mandate or activating the auto-debit facility, especially are specifically targeting vulnerable families.”
The ministry has advised to avoid automatic debit option for payment of membership fee in the guidelines, saying that some ed-tech companies may offer free-premium business model where many of their services may look free at first sight. However, to get access to continuous learning, students must opt โโfor a paid subscription. Please read the Terms and Conditions before accepting acceptance of the learning software/device as your IP address or personal data may be tracked. Clear all your doubts or queries regarding payment and material before investing any amount for your child’s education in any EdTech company. Before using any EdTech platform read the child safety guidelines mentioned in the PRAGYATA guidelines by the Ministry of Education.
Don’ts: Don’t blindly trust the advertisements of EdTech companies. Do not sign up for any loan that you are not aware of. Do not install any mobile EdTech application without verifying the authenticity. Avoid credit/debit card registration on apps for membership. Set an upper limit on expenses per transaction.
Avoid adding your data like email, contact numbers, card details, addresses etc online as the data can be sold or used later for scam attacks. Do not share any personal videos and photos. Be careful not to turn on the video feature or make video calls on unverified platforms.
Keep your child’s safety a top priority. Don’t trust “success stories” shared by EdTech companies without proper scrutiny as they can be a trap to gather more audience. Do not share your bank account details and OTP number with any marketing staff. Beware of cyber fraud. Don’t click on links from sources you’re not familiar with, or open any attachments or pop-up screens.
