Press release – EdTech: 12 proposals to meet the challenge of accelerating training through digital technology

Driven by the liberalization of the training market and the acceleration of digital transformation, the EdTech sector has seen unprecedented growth in France and worldwide in recent years. Faced with the twin challenges of ecological and digital transition, companies in this sector are essential not only for training in the skills that will be central to tomorrow’s job market, but also for understanding the issues involved.

In a world in perpetual motion, technological upheavals require lifelong learning, and are transforming the way we train. The arrival of AI and GPT Chat have recently shaken up our perception of work and training: schools and companies alike must now consider how best to use these tools, and train their students and employees to use them “responsibly”. What’s more, EdTech is also an invaluable ally in promoting a more inclusive and adaptive education: digital learning, and in particular blended learning and adaptive learning, help to meet today’s training challenges, by offering agile and “tailor-made” tools that are effective in boosting skills and combating school drop-out.

At the heart of tomorrow’s transitions, the French industry remains fragmented and needs to move up a gear to meet growing needs. With this in mind, AFINEF, EducAzur, EdTech France, EdTech Grand Ouest and Numeum have joined forces to carry out an in-depth study and put forward 12 proposals, developed in 7 areas, to meet the challenges of accelerating digital training.

1 – Speeding up teacher training

While teacher training is a key issue in accelerating digital learning, less than 5% of teachers actually used the resources made available to them in 2015 in the digital resource banks (BNRE) offered by the French Ministry of Education.

2 – Facilitating and securing access to markets

Although teachers are the primary users of digital learning solutions, they have to rely on funding from local authorities and the Education Nationale (or their institution, in the case of university lecturers) to use digital technology to support their teaching, which is a real hindrance.

3 – Joining forces and strengthening collaboration

As the industry is made up of almost 500 startups, it seems ill-equipped to make its voice heard. It is therefore vital to strengthen the collective cohesion already at work within the two associations representing Edtech companies (Afinef and Edtech France).

4 – Prioritizing and streamlining investments

Current funding has not enabled the emergence of enough French EdTech “champions”, notably due to a lack of prioritization of investments and a lack of “agility” in management.

5 – Accelerate the creation of the education data platform

While data and learning analytics are essential today, a “database” to bring together all learning data does not yet exist, although it is part of the digital commons currently being deployed by the Direction du Numérique de l’Education (DNE).

6 – Giving greater visibility to the scope and ambitions of the “digital commons

Players in the EdTech sector (primarily startups) still lack visibility on the scope and definition of the “digital commons” that are being created. This lack of visibility is hampering the economic development of EdTechs positioned in the school market (holding back investment and recruitment, fearing for the long-term future of the companies themselves).

7 – Create a body with ambitious resources and objectives to accelerate lifelong digital training

Ministries, the DNE, the SGPI and local authorities are all working hard to implement digital training. To help them in this task, it is essential to set up an operational body, responsible for managing the implementation of the roadmap, on the ground, with the players in the field.