The COVID-19 pandemic raised a series of challenges and questions about the future of education worldwide. The confinement and the consequent closure of schools forced to abandon the traditional learning mode to migrate to a remote one where technology had to be used. During these almost four years we have known its benefits. In addition, disruptive models have emerged that seek to democratize education as the EdTech and that they are here to stay.
The main challenges facing education
Mexico faces three major problems in education: limited access, school dropout, and educational lag.
First, since there are a finite number of public schools and private education is very expensive, more than 4 million people of school age cannot attend school. Likewise, 3 out of 10 adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17 are out of school. Through technological adoption, it is possible to study these programs online from anywhere and at a lower cost while having Internet and a mobile device.
Regarding school dropout, in Mexico there are 600,000 people at risk of abandoning their studies. The main reason is that thousands of them are forced to work to provide resources for their families and survive. The creation of self-study and flexible online programs offer the opportunity to balance study and work. While earning income is important, it should not be a reason to drop out of school.
Finally, the pandemic caused an educational gap equivalent to two years of schooling. Prior to the pandemic, the average Mexican reached the level of learning corresponding to the 3rd year of secondary school. Today, their learning corresponds to who is in the 1st year of secondary school.
The EdTech sector and its solutions
Within the EdTech sector, various proposals were originated that seek to solve the aforementioned problems. An example of this is Vinco, a company supported by Wayra and which is part of its investment portfolio.
Vinco links corporations with the best educational offer through a digital platform that centralizes more than 2,500 programs at preferential prices that go up to 60% discount. The school programs it offers range from high school to master’s degree. Similarly, there are continuing education programs such as language courses, certificates and diplomas.
Vinco offers a solution to the main challenges facing education in Mexico. On the one hand, it seeks to reduce desertion, since it assigns a personal mentor to each collaborator. This personal mentor is a professional in the educational field and his main function is to accompany the student throughout his process.
On the other hand, Vinco solves the problem of educational lag by offering flexible programs focused on working adults, allowing people in the labor market to study and work at the same time.
Finally, Vinco seeks to be the right arm of the Human Resources teams, helping them with the training of their teams and facilitating all administration.
Today it already collaborates with several of the largest corporations in Mexico such as OXXO, Arca Continental, Didi, Mondelez Internacional and seeks to continue adding many more.
Technology as the future of education in Mexico
It is true that great challenges continue to exist in Mexico with regard to education. However, it is also true that, due to technology, it becomes easier for more people to have access to quality education without having to pay high amounts.
More and more worthwhile projects are using technology to revolutionize the way education has been delivered. Although they do not opt for traditional methods, there is no doubt that they respond to the needs of the moment.
By Daniela Zepeda, Growth en Vinco, a startup promoted by Wayra Hispam
Wayra Hispam It is the most global, technological and connected Telefónica Movistar open innovation hub. In addition to its operations in Latin America (Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru), Wayra also operates in Brazil, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. More than 500 startups participating in Telefónica’s Open Innovation program are still active, and more than 100 startups are doing business with Grupo Telefónica.
