India and the Education system have a relationship that dates back to the 8th century BCE. While Takshshila (now in Pakistan) is regarded as the oldest learning centre, the Nalanda University fits the bill of the modern University education system. Scriptures, Vedas, Stupas, are all proof that the ancient Indian Education System was very evolved.
With changing era, colonization and later Independence, the education system in India has seen drastic changes from its ancient, often described as glorious past, to the modern system. The current system consists of public and private schools imparting education at the pre-primary primary and secondary levels. Higher, specialized and multidisciplinary education is imparted via several Government and private colleges. Free and compulsory education is provided under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, as a fundamental right to children between the ages of 6 and 14. Reservation system in the higher education provides an opportunity for the underprivileged to learn at par with the rest of the population.
Filling the Lacuna
Despite all the efforts, there still is a huge gap in the demand and supply situation in education in India. With increasing levels of awareness and a desire to provide the best of educational experiences and all round exposure to their children, the need for establishing quality benchmark K-12 schools & Preschools catering to a holistic and integrated educational approach has increased manifolds. To meet this need, Kalorex Group came into being in 1995.
A professionally managed autonomous institution, Kalorex’s key focus, since inception, has been K-12 education. It believes in empowering children to succeed in all spheres of life. With 40 + institutions and growing, Kalorex follows a cradle to career approach- addressing need of all segments of educational domain.
The Opportunity
The Indian education market is expected to almost double to $180 billion by 2020. The rapid expansion of the digital learning market and the world’s largest population in the age bracket of six to 17 years act as boosting factors. But the sector continues to be plagued by poor infrastructure and a shortage of trained teachers. Currently, in the K-12 segment, there are 1.5 million schools with 260 million students. Of the 1.5 million schools, 1.1 million are run by the government. The additional capacity requirement in the K-12 segment is 40 million and teachers’ requirement is 2 million. The demands for education exists both at the student and employment level with 619 million populations (students) falling in the 0-24-year age group.
These favorable demographics bring enormous economic opportunities. However, the ability to seize these opportunities depends on how successfully the challenges plaguing the Indian education system can be addressed.
An Educational Reformist
A visionary, Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff is regarded by many as the change agent for schooling in the state of Gujarat. When she relocated to Ahmedabad after her marriage, she realized that though Ahmedabad had very good schools in the mid 90’s, the contemporariness was missing. Her passionate devotion to education gave birth to the first DPS in Gujarat. Her attitude of being ahead of her time and incorporating innovative practices in the teaching process has been instrumental in keeping DPS Ahmedabad’s name a front runner in the education sector. Using technology in the classroom and creating SMART classes has been one of the firsts in the country. From a humble beginning from a rented premise, the school today boasts of a sprawling campus with state of art facilities and grounds.
Being an educationist at heart, she is not only hands on in the teaching and learning process, but is also instrumental in connecting to her staff in every possible manner. She lives the Core Values she has set for KALOREX and these percolate in the teams working with her in her various ventures.
Brand Kalorex
Kalorex is a well-established name in the Education sector, managed by a professional group of edupreneurs. The group is high on culture and values, catering to the entire spectrum of K-12 learners. Technology and Research based pedagogy practiced across all Kalorex institutions have resulted in the development of the best brains time and again over the years. The Alumni of Kalorex are placed at leading corporates, business houses, research and development centers and space and defense institutions across the world.Being a preferred choice for high quality education across all segments of the society, Kalorex is a trusted name amongst parent communities be it for National or International Boards of Education.
The objective of Shaping Glocal Learners is embedded into the DNA and ethos of each and every one of the 1300+ employees dedicated to the cause of Kalorex. Dynamism, Humanistic approach, Living in the Gap (Continuous Learning Mode), Ownership, Speed with Accuracy are the beliefs which are practiced by every Kalorexian day in day out. Kalorex wishes to expand to 100 cities across India, through a strong network of Business associates. The 40+ Institutions of Kalorex is a mix of self-owned and investment led partnerships by Investors who wish to make a mark in education under leading brands like Delhi Public Schools, Calorx Public Schools, Calorx Olive International School, Kalorex preschools in India.
Associating with Kalorex
India is transforming into a Knowledge economy, the general level of awareness has increased thereby creating a demand for high quality education like that of any other product or service with the economy opening, paying capacities have increased, towns are seeing transformation and cities are overflowing. A good school dedicated to the cause of creating empowered citizens will see no barrier in their expansion plans. Kalorex does the same through its franchise opportunity.
The prospective Kalorex partner in Education should have a very clear defined vision of providing best quality education through a time tested model of brand mentorship. The Investing Partner should be open to wide spectrum of ideas, innovations and acceptability to follow the best practices in education brought in by the brand.On being associated with Kalorex, it offers an end to end support and five mandatory training & support practices for its partners namely:
Training & Development
Systems, Process and Procedures
Operational Knowhow
Educational Pedagogies and Curriculum
Content & Creative
Staying Ahead with Technology
Digital literacy: As a group, Kalorex has not only focused on technology but has also ensured that the students and teachers understand and develop Digital Literacy, as is the need of the hour. The Kalorex Taxonomy emphasizes upon this aspect and inculcates these values through teacher – student workshops, case studies, organizing rallies and awareness drives. Cyber bullying, e-mail etiquettes, social media security, plagiarism, netiquettes, etc. are all addressed through planned programmes conducted in each Kalorex school.
Updated Technology: Technology plays a major role in all departments of Kalorex.It has always been a major enabler for learning since the inception of the Group. School portals are designed to track the progress of the curriculum, interactive white boards keep the students and teachers engaged interested in the teaching – learning activity. Online exchange programmes with International schools also take place to give students a Global learning experience. Platforms like Skype and Hangouts help to facilitate meetings with members at various locations. The in-house Kalorex App helps to connect the parents to the school activities and keeps them updated. The Yali Online Store enables placing orders for books, uniforms or Kalorex merchandise. The administrative machinery is well attuned with the latest technology to keep records and data. GPS tracking systems in the school buses ensure safety of students and helps in updating parents for any delays or re-routings.
Academics: The Kalorex Curriculum Framework, specifically designed for Pre-schools and K-12 schools, encompasses 5 Base Learnings – Activity based, Project based, Lab based, Task based and Building based. With this the focus is also on Language, Media and Digital Literacies. Teachers are trained in using Active Learning Strategies through regular workshops. Class observations and academic audits ensure that teachers engage students in class and prepare challenging tasks for building enquiry.
Bringing Change – One School at a Time
Kalorex believes in replicating its success formula not only for itself but also for the associate partner. A win-win relationship is very important in education. Thereby Kalorex sees its partners as partners in progress. In the next 5 years, Kalorex envisions to have its presence with over 100 institutions with multiple investment models favouring good returns on investment(ROI) and brand value to its associate partners comparable to the best in the industry. Kalorex has ambitious plans to expand in many more states in the country to target 100 project in the next 5 years in all target segments; Pre- schools, K-12 schools and franchise and management models.
Kalorex: Contemporary Education. Global Attributes. Local Values.
