Zeeko, an Enterprise Ireland-backed high-potential startup (HPSU), has joined hands with Next Education, a fast-growing SaaS-based technology-driven company that is changing India’s education system to benefit educators, schools, and students. The partnership introduces Magical Leaders, a peer-led entrepreneur programme delivered through their innovative online 3D world to schools in the Middle East and India.
As a part of his visit to India, Ireland’s Minister of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, announced this collaboration.
Speaking on the partnership, Roderic O’Gorman, said:
India has always been an essential partner for Ireland, whether it be in terms of promoting quality education, cultural integrity, or fostering entrepreneurial ventures. With technology becoming a dominant player in the global education landscape, a kind of global EducationEducation has been made accessible to all, irrespective of their geographic locations. The partnership between Ireland’s Zeeko and India’s Next Education is very important for us, and marks another significant way that Edtech has contributed to the cultural exchange between the two countries.
The Indian Government has been working towards promoting digital Education in recent years, and this can be seen in the growth of EdTech firms and startups. In fact, the ‘Education for All’ agenda, which outlines the framework of NEP 2020, gives global partnerships in the EdTech sector high weightage. The partnership between Ireland’s Zeeko and India’s Next Education illustrates one such initiative of this digital and educational transformation.
Founded in 2013 by Joe Kenny, Zeeko provides online internet safety and entrepreneurship skills training to primary and secondary school pupils across Ireland. Peer-to-Peer Education is an integral component of Zeeko’s programmes, as it contributes to building self-esteem and self-confidence and intrinsically motivates life-long learning. This will enable young people’s 21st-century skills (C21 Skills) by providing high-quality content to develop a growth mindset, foster resilience and grow self-efficacy.
Commenting on the latest development, Founder & CEO of Zeeko, Joe Kenny, said:
We are very excited to be working with Next Education. This partnership is a great opportunity to provide secondary school students with transferable skills to help them deal with an ever-changing and unpredictable world. The programme has been developed by educational specialists and teachers and is aligned with the new education policy in India. Our innovative digital learning experience helps teach and nurture 21st-century skills engagingly and interactively, enabling students to reach their full potential.
Educators who participate in Zeeko’s Leadership Programme will gain access to Next Education’s EdTech SaaS platform to deliver engaging and interactive digital learning experiences to their students. Additionally, the platform can be customized to include modules and resources like digital citizenship and online safety, which can help students become responsible digital citizens.
Dipesh Sakaria, Vice-President of Sales, Next Education, added:
We look forward to a closely knit partnership with Zeeko by which we can provide excellent opportunities for students to explore, experiment and learn 21st-century skills with gamified ways of learning. Furthermore, this partnership will open up immense opportunities for educators to deliver new-age skills to their students in a fun and interactive way.
Enterprise Ireland, the government organization responsible for developing and growing Irish enterprises in world markets, facilitated the partnership.
Wendy D’Souza, Senior Vice President, Education and EdTech, Enterprise Ireland, commented:
This partnership between Zeeko and Next Education is a decisive step in the ed-tech space and the schools, which not only brings an immersive digital learning experience but also instils values of leadership and digital responsibility among educators and students of India.
Next Education, started in 2007, delivers carefully-crafted content to ensure effective learning for all. The platform’s innovative products and solutions transform the lives of 10% of India’s private-school-going children. The startup claims to have over 12,000,000 students from various socio-cultural backgrounds studying in 18,000 partner schools nationwide. It is working towards democratizing technology through its technology-powered content and user-friendly interfaces in products such as TeachNext, LearnNext, and free mobile apps enabling learners to access standard Education easily. Their partnership and Magic Leaders programme is geared toward bringing innovative digital transformation to India’s education landscape.
