Technology has gained traction in the education sector. China is home to the world’s biggest education market comprising over 400 million students. Even though China is a world leader in technology, the sheer size of the country’s education sector initially made advancements in digital learning quite slow. Nevertheless, the country has been able to integrate technology in its instruction techniques and curriculum in recent years.

Through technological adoption in education, China has been able to use fully participatory methodologies in its learning institutions. The country is experiencing an EdTech boom, which has seen some of its universities ranked among the best globally. The presence of many institutions where educational technologies can be piloted makes China a lucrative market for EdTech entrepreneurs.

Increased Spending on Education

The Chinese government has been increasing its budgetary allocation to the education sector since 2012. This is perhaps what has elevated the education sector into one of the country’s most significant economic pillars. The realization that digitizing education would help bridge China’s longstanding educational needs is what informed the budgetary allocation increment.

The growth of the EdTech industry in China has not only enhanced access to education but has also made the country more techno-savvy. The digital divide that previously existed between rural areas and cities has also been bridged significantly due to the need to improve Internet accessibility so that rural schools also benefit from EdTech advancements. The marked improvement in Internet connectivity has hastened the growth of digital education in China.

Why is China’s EdTech Industry Distinctive?

Just like in other countries, digital education in China incorporates e-campuses and e-libraries, online education platforms, and requisite software to power them. Initially, these resources were generally not provided and were thus limited to tertiary institutions. However, there has been a paradigm shift in recent years with more digital learning resources being dedicated to younger students.

The Chinese government is currently in the middle of an ambitious plan to have a universal e-learning environment in place by 2020. This is among the major factors that have spurred growth in the country’s EdTech market. The government has also encouraged investment in the EdTech industry by opening up opportunities for investors in areas of e-book publication, digital note-taking, and the development of educational software and other cloud-based services.

Future Prospects

The significant growth of China’s EdTech industry has seen China being elevated into a model country and an example of how digital learning represents the future of human education. The integration of learning with different social environments and the use of chatbots are just some of the pertinent elements that have characterized the growth of China’s digital learning market in recent years.

Nothing seems to be slowing down the EdTech gravy train in China, not even the pessimistic views raised by traditionalists. Today, the idea of digital learning isn’t just appealing to students and learners but the society at large. With the continued advancement of content delivery platforms to boost digital learning, it is expected that the EdTech market in China will continue growing in coming years. .