Yahoo India to tie up with schools for internet education

Yahoo India is planning to tie up with schools in Tier II and Tier III towns to provide internet education. The collaboration would be aimed at networking with schools with basic computer laboratories and classes till standard VIII.

The module would cover various aspects of internet, including email, search, accessing mobile internet and tips on internet safety to students. “We are in the process of finalising this programme and it would be launched soon,” Yahoo’s senior director (marketing) Nitin Mathur told Business Standard.

Mathur said various studies showed a good number of students in metro cities had access to internet at home. “Therefore, we wish to take this project to smaller towns, where students are mostly deprived of such facilities,” he said.

Yahoo also runs a similar programme, ‘Learn with Yahoo’, in collaboration with different cyber cafes across the country through which a person can sit for a 60-minute learning module on various aspects of the internet. “The successful completion of this module ensures a certificate,” Mathur said. Currently, the programme covers 2,500 cyber cafes across 50 cities in 15 states. About 60 per cent of these cafes are located in small towns. “We had started this programme in November 2010 and have already handed over 400,000 certificates. The programme has been well received, both by cyber cafes and the general public and we plan to continue it,” he said.

Mathur also said Yahoo had launched a mobile application which allowed easy browsing and surfing. “Our research shows new internet users are keen to learn more about the internet, especially when it comes to surfing through mobile phones. The research also shows 55 per cent of new internet users begin their online journey at cyber cafes,” he said.