The Role of Schools in Education

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, many parents opted or were directed by their children’s schools to enroll students in online learning. However, for a number of reasons – including students feeling lonely, the online model often requiring heavy involvement by parents in the learning process, and the practicalities of caregivers needing to return to work – online learning hasn’t gained longer-term traction but is instead seen by many families as a short-term solution during challenging times. Observing these trends, and wanting also to help break the connection between geography and educational outcomes, Amar Kumar saw an opportunity to build a new company, KaiPod Learning. As Founder & CEO, Amar makes a distinction between “Zoom School”, which many students around the world experienced in one form or another over the past two years, and a true online learning experience. Hosted by The Christensen Institute’s Thomas Arnett, they discuss the Jobs To Be Done of different stakeholders in K-12 education; issues surrounding access to high-quality learning; the role that schools play in society; the new educational model that Amar and his team are building at KaiPod Learning; the future of online education, and more!