“Nelson Mandela once said,” Education is the most powerful tool to change the world. “And I deeply believe in it. What we learn affects our lives. Education fights inequality and builds a more just world. . I fight to make this possible for everyone thanks to technology “. Here is Felix Ohswald thought that he is only 27 years old and aims to design the school of the future.
The special Italian Tech Week
In 2016, in his early twenties, he founded GoStudent, an online e-learning platform that offers qualified teachers (“I soon understood the importance of a teacher”) and a tailor-made curriculum for over 30 subjects. But it is not a question of repetitions that only serve to pass the exams in September, it is something more complex.
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“There is a trend underway in the world of school. In 10 years it will be more and more hybrid: lessons in the morning in the classroom, repetitions in the afternoon online. A more innovative, inclusive and personalized teaching model. However, it is necessary that schools and private bodies commit themselves to cooperate more with each other. The public alone cannot make it. The road is called partnership between public and private, PPP, and it is the way to develop talent, fight illiteracy and solve inequalities “.
Go Student is today the most valued EdTech company in Europe. Worth 3 billion euros, it is present in over 20 countries, both in the old continent and overseas. It raised more than 590 million euros. It has 2,000 employees, 20,000 freelance teachers. 1.5 million lessons are booked on the platform every month. Behold, behind these numbers there is a young mathematician with a passion for knowledge and a mad desire to leave a mark on the world.
Child prodigy, a great passion for studying, a science teacher grandfather who inspires him, discovers his talent and supports him. “He pushed me from childhood to be passionate about mathematics, chess and logical and structured thinking. He took scientific theories and applied them to real situations, teaching me to overcome challenges and solve problems with reasoning. While others children had a playful and amusing attitude, I tried to break down and analyze the games to know their secrets and excel. I was fascinated by the logic behind everything. I applied the same principle to all my studies “.
At 21, Ohswald already has two degrees in mathematics. “At the age of 14, at the same time as high school, I started taking mathematics courses at the University of Vienna. Credits and qualifications were given to me after graduation. At 18 I moved to the UK to pursue a second degree at the university. University of Cambridge. Finally, in 2016, I completed my studies with a master’s degree in quantitative finance from ETH Zurich. “
“Just during the master’s degree, my younger brother Moritz started suggesting to his classmates to write me on Whatsapp if they have difficulty in math. I was happy to help, but at the same time surprised at how many students were looking for extra-curricular support. A light bulb went on in my head. “
Sensing the need, he understands that to awaken the passion for study and make quality education more accessible, you need trained and engaging teachers. And this is where the idea of GoStudent was born. He talks about it with his friend Gregor Müller, a graduate in Business Administration and a company already underway, now co-founder and Coo of GoStudent. “Why don’t we create an e-learning platform where students can access the best teachers and receive individual support?”.
They open their first office in the basement of a sailing school in Vienna. GoStudent is initially a free service, structured as a chat in which students’ questions are answered with the support of affiliated teachers. Soon the two understand that they cannot go on like this, they need a business model that works.
“In 2019, an investor backed out the day before the contract was signed. This mishap taught us a valuable lesson in resilience and never taking anything for granted. There we realized how critical it was to have a profitable, scalable business model. and sustainable in the long term “. Change of course: the two decide to turn to their parents instead of the kids and to make the service for a fee. “GoStudent has evolved into a real 1: 1 video lesson platform with fantastic teachers.” It works like this: you sign up for a subscription. The packages available are from 6 to 36 months. The frequency is 1-10 lessons per week. Prices vary according to the duration of the package: the longer the duration, the lower the cost of the single lesson. Each session is 50 minutes. Over 30 subjects available.
Felix strongly believes in online education. And to support it brings you the numbers. “A study conducted by Research and Markets estimates that the global online education market will reach $ 585 billion by 2027, up from $ 270 billion in 2021”.
His vision is that of a hybrid school of the future and an increasingly PPP (Partnership between public and private) future. Felix travels Europe, from the Tedx in Athens, to the Web Summit in Lisbon. He will be at Italian Tech Week (29-30 September) in Turin to tell his vision of him.
“Governments and public school systems often do not have the power to bring about disruptive change on their own. They need private partners to lean on. Thus risks and expenses are distributed, new infrastructures are created and materials and technologies are acquired more quickly,” promoting local development and innovation “.
And to make you understand his vision he asks you to imagine living in a city called Belo Horizonte, in Brazil. To work and do everything to give your children education and a future. “In 2011 there were no school buildings. 11 thousand children were on the waiting list to enroll in school. The resources available could only satisfy 35% of the demand. Thanks to a PPP, the municipality of Belo Horizonte was able to build and equip 32 new kindergartens and 5 primary schools in a very short time. So 18,000 children from low-income areas were able to go to school. From Brazil to Nevada. In 2021 Connecting Kids, an example of PPP, worked to guarantee an internet connection to the number of students, as quickly as possible. Today nearly half a million Nevada students have access to a computer and an internet connection in their home. “
Felix dreams of contributing to the future of education by allowing each child to express their potential. “It is an ambitious mission I know, but it is the guiding light of my days. To Nelson Mandela’s phrase:” education is the most powerful tool to change the world “, we can add a point of discussion. The partnership between the public and private can change the world of education today “.