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WhiteHat Jr on Tuesday said it has signed up 500 schools across India, representing more than 1.25 lakh students who will learn coding through a blended curriculum.

The company, which was acquired by edtech major BYJU’S last year, aims to train one million students via the ”physical-digital blended model” next academic year, a statement said.

The blended programme combines the power of WhiteHat Jr’s online platform with a classroom model, where children can learn and collaborate with their peers.

“The edtech company has received a very positive response to the offering, with schools showing massive interest in introducing next-generation coding skills to their students,” WhiteHat Jr Founder and CEO Karan Bajaj said.

He noted that the startup’s mission to empower a whole generation with future skills is coming to full fruition.

“By expanding our proprietary curriculum from a personalised setting to a public environment, we have the potential to impact the lives of children from every strata of society. This pioneering physical-digital blended programme was conceptualised keeping in view the unique demands of Bharat,” he said.

The model minimises dependencies on school infrastructure with bare minimum requirements, such as a computer lab and internet access, since the education infrastructure is not equal across the country, especially in the far interiors, he explained.

“We have to equip our children with 21st-century skills to help reap the demographic dividend in its truest sense. However, the big deterrent is that the majority of children in the country don’t have access to computers or broadband,” Bajaj said.

He added this is a flexible programme that can be adjusted to suit the requirements of schools. For instance, WhiteHat Jr can train school faculty or have WhiteHat Jr’s locally-based teachers, he added.

“The testament of this effective model is the fact that over 500 schools from 245 cities across 24 states and union territories have already joined us, and many more are signing every week,” he added.

The programme delivers three key features — proprietary curriculum, physical-cum-digital access, and teacher training programme.