UK firm Pamoja Education to offer Cambridge IGCSE and International A Level programmes online in India

London: A UK-based online learning provider has been cleared by a University of Cambridge approved worldwide assessment system, which will offer 482 schools across India the chance to use a wider new range of online courses.

Pamoja Education has received its approval by Cambridge Assessment International Education, formed by Cambridge University as an examination syndicate many years ago to raise standards in education by administering exams and inspecting schools around the world. It means that all the schools across India which already offer Cambridge Assessment curricula and programmes will be able to offer a new range of Pamoja courses online.

"UK-based online learning provider Pamoja Education has been approved by Cambridge Assessment International Education, the world's largest provider of international education programmes and qualifications for 5 to 19-year olds, to teach its world-leading IGCSE and International AS and A Level programmes online from September 2019," Pamoja Education said in a statement.

The company's analysis finds that the market for online learning in India is currently growing at 20 per cent per year and is estimated to reach a market size of USD 2 billion and 10 million users by 2021. It notes that Indian schools able to offer the new courses online will benefit from broader subject offerings, fewer challenges caused by teacher shortages, and more flexible timetables. Students in those schools will have greater subject choice, gain practical experience of new digital technologies, and have greater flexibility of study.

"With 10 years of expertise in online learning exclusively for International Baccalaureate programmes, expanding our offering to Cambridge curricula is a natural progression for Pamoja," said John Ingram, CEO of Pamoja Education. "Cambridge's global community and world leading curricula mean we can now help a new generation of students in India reach their potential, and we look forward to supporting Cambridge International Schools in India in broadening their subject offering through Pamoja Taught online courses," he said.

A series of courses are to be taught online for the first academic year via Pamoja's flagship "Pamoja Taught" solution, including Cambridge IGCSE Business Studies, Cambridge IGCSE Information and Communication Technology, Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics, Cambridge International AS and A Level Business and Cambridge International AS and A Level Mathematics. According to the Oxford-based company, Pamoja Taught courses are taught online by teachers trained in online learning methodologies, and cover the same course content and prepare students for the same assessments as traditional face-to-face courses.

Students use the Pamoja Taught online platform to access content at any time, interact with Pamoja teachers and join discussions with other students from around the world. Cambridge IGCSE is believed to be among the world's most popular international qualification for 14 to 16-year olds, taken in over 150 countries and in more than 4700 schools around the world. There are over 800,000 subject entries for Cambridge IGCSE exams each year. Cambridge International AS and A Level qualifications are taken in 134 countries with more than 545,000 subject entries each year.

Christine Ozden, Chief Executive of Cambridge Assessment International Education, said: "We are delighted to announce that Pamoja Education has joined our global community and we look forward to a long and productive relationship with them." The Cambridge Assessment International Education programme is pegged as offering students from around the world a better chance of admission to some of the world's best universities.