Mumbai, Aug 3 (IANS): Leading online learning platform WhiteHat Jr on Tuesday announced to bring its flagship coding curriculum to schoolchildren in the country, adding that it has signed up 500 schools across the country, representing more than 1.25 lakh students, who will learn coding via a physical-digital blended coding curriculum.

Targeting to teach 10 lakh school students by the next academic year as more schools reopen after the second wave of pandemic, the company has already trained 1,000 private school teachers for the programme, which combines the power of online coding platform with a classroom model where children can learn and collaborate with their peers.

"In the next phase of the programme, we will bring government schools onboard as we believe in democratising the new-age education for our kids. The physical-digital blended coding curriculum is not only for upper-income households but also aims to reach every nook and corner of the country as schools reopen," Karan Bajaj, Founder and CEO, WhiteHat Jr, told IANS.

The schoolchildren will pay somewhere between Rs 300-Rs 750 a month depending on the coding curriculum they choose to pursue.

The company has developed a new teacher training programme to prepare them for conducting the coding programme in schools. It has also been empanelled by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to build the capacity of coding trainers in the country.

Bajaj informed that the company has not only trained schoolteachers for the coding curriculum but also provided its own pool of talented teachers who will impart coding skills to students in schools where computer teachers are not available.

"With the positive reception that we have received thus far since the launch of our physical-digital blended model, our vision of teaching Coding to at least one million school students in the next academic year is an achievable reality," Bajaj said.

WhiteHat Jr has designed an activity-based structured coding curriculum from Grade 1-12. The curriculum is scientifically researched & based on age-appropriate learning outcomes.

"We are at the helm of a breakthrough with this initiative, to provide coding education to students that otherwise would not have had the infrastructure to access these future skills," said Nitin Kochhar, Chief Business Officer, New Channels, WhiteHat Jr.

Last month, WhiteHat Jr launched live online classes in music -- starting with piano and guitar -- in India and the US, as the company aims to create a one-on-one music experience for kids to help them build confidence and boost their cognitive development.

"We have received tremendous reposed for the live online classes in music in India. Now even adults have shown interest in learning music, which is quite encouraging," said Bajaj.