Aditya Birla Education Academy

What ABEA is

Aditya Birla Education Academy (ABEA) is a professional development institute for teachers and school leaders in India, based in Mumbai. Its About section says it was founded in 2018 to provide professional development to educators and to run bespoke programs for students, and that it is part of the Aditya Birla Education Trust, headed by Mrs. Neerja Birla. The site calls itself an "Internationally Benchmarked Teacher Training Institute" in its page title and describes ABEA as "India's most sought after professional development institute for educators". Its stated aim is to give educators a place to upskill "through relevant and uniquely structured courses", to upgrade content knowledge and pedagogical skills, and to join "a larger community of lifelong learners".

Its mission, as the site puts it, is "To engage educators in the new-age global processes of education" so they can grow as teachers, and the About text adds that ABEA also helps educators adopt "innovative tools and resources of teaching". The homepage counts 930000 + lives touched, 5000 + programs and 200 + cities. A board of advisors includes Dr. Ameeta Mulla Wattal of DLF Foundation Schools, Dr. Shalini Advani, Dr. Indrani Bhaduri (CEO and Head, PARAKH-NCERT), Dr. Biswajit Saha (Director, Skill Education and Training, CBSE) and Dr. Joseph Emmanuel (Chief Executive and Secretary, CISCE).

Long programs: diplomas and certificate courses

ABEA's course list runs from short certificates to postgraduate and early childhood diplomas:

• Post Graduate Diploma in Global Education (PGDGE). Offered with B.K. Birla College of Arts, Science and Commerce (Autonomous), it is designed "for teachers looking for career advancement & corporate professionals looking to transition into teaching". A blog post calls it the academy's flagship program.
• Diploma in Early Childhood Education, for experienced and new educators who want structured growth in curriculum design, inclusive practice, assessment and leadership in early childhood settings.
• Certification Program in Early Childhood Education (CPECE), described as a 16-week course building practical early childhood skills, curriculum, inclusion and assessment.
• Certificate Course in Assessments and Effective Classroom Practices, "a structured professional development course designed for schoolteachers and subject leaders in India".
• Certificate Course in Curriculum Redesign for Focused Learning, organized around four core sessions and the work participants complete across the module.
• Certificate Course: EduLeaders 360 Degree Strategic Leadership for Schools, promising to help participants become "a future-ready school leader with global insights, people skills, and digital fluency".
• Master the Art of Building Caring Classrooms, led by Dr. Gauri Hardikar, Vice President of the Indian Association of Life Skills, on understanding the emotions behind student behavior and building emotionally responsive classrooms.

The site says the curriculum for each course is designed and delivered by "globally renowned faculty", and it frames the courses around career growth and teaching "in accordance with global best practices". The homepage does not list fees for these longer programs.

Self-paced programs at ₹249

The self-paced section holds pre-recorded online courses for teachers who want something short. The page says "We found 9 workshops available", and every one lists a duration of 1 Hour and fees of ₹249:

• Basics of Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom (beginner level)
• Questioning Techniques
• Managing Behaviour in the Classroom
• Question Formation Techniques
• ICT Integration in Teaching
• Blooms Taxonomy, taught in Hindi
• Learning by Experience
• Using Understanding by Design for Lesson Planning (backward design)
• Questioning Skills for Beginners

The listing can be sorted by popularity, date or price and filtered by format: e-learning, ABEA Masterclass and Educator Meetup. The page describes these as programs "specially designed by leading educators working with us" and as online certificate courses for teachers.

Workshops, schools and students

Beyond courses, ABEA runs live workshops for teachers, and its testimonials show the range: collaborative teaching strategies, writing effective MCQs, giving feedback to students, enquiry-based learning, metacognition and critical thinking, low-threat lesson observation, and a Schoolwide Enrichment Model course run in 2023 batches. One participant mentions break-out rooms and switching between portals, which points to sessions held online. The menu also carries School Services for whole-school work (a blog post covers school audits and how ABEA helps with the gap areas), Student Programs, and a Teach at ABEA page for educators who want to train other teachers.

What teachers say

The homepage shows named testimonials. Divya Gautam, Curriculum Developer at ABG Schools, wrote of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model course: "I like the way sessions are proceeding, I got an opportunity to think of my students and their unique qualities." Nilakshi Chatterjee of Sanskriti School wrote after the MCQ workshop: "This was one of the most relevant sessions in a long time. Very clear and to the point." Nabanita Kaur Jassal of Assam Valley School called the feedback workshop "enriching and informative" and noted that "The facilitator was thorough with her presentation materials". Tarlin Bajwa of Avasara Leadership Institute praised learning "at a very affordable rate, and at flexible timings". Sushmita Ganguly of The Cathedral & John Connon School thanked the metacognition workshop "for the clarity, volume of ideas and practical examples", and Sreya Mandal of ABPS said a session helped teachers "use various innovative techniques in our teaching to facilitate learning".

Blog and contact

The blog is active and written by ABEA staff and guest educators, with posts on digital skills for educators, classroom management, lesson planning, foundational literacy and numeracy, storytelling, competency-based education, inclusive education, socio-emotional learning, teacher wellbeing, school leadership programs and the eligibility criteria for the PGDGE.

ABEA's office is at Vastu Shilp Annexe, Gamadia Colony, JD Road, Tardeo, Mumbai. Enquiries go through a web form, phone or e-mail, and the site has a chat option. The enquiry form's location list covers Mumbai areas, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Pune, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Andhra Pradesh and other places in India.

Who it suits

ABEA fits Indian teachers who want practical classroom skills from a known name in Indian schooling, at two very different levels of commitment. A teacher curious about differentiation, questioning or Bloom's taxonomy can try a one-hour self-paced course for ₹249. Someone planning a career move, including a corporate professional moving into teaching, can look at the PGDGE with B.K. Birla College, and early childhood educators have both a diploma and a 16-week certification. School leaders get the EduLeaders 360 course and schools can bring ABEA in for whole-staff work. The programs are built around Indian classrooms and boards, so educators abroad will find the context less directly relevant.