Microsoft And Ed4All Partners With The National Institute Of Open Schooling (NIOS) To Make Learners Job-Ready

September 2, 2021: Microsoft and Ed4All announced today a collaboration with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) to transform learning and equip students with digital skills. Microsoft and Ed4All hope to reach over 170 million learners across the open education ecosystem with this cooperation, giving them the tools, experiences, and skills they need to be job-ready in the digital age.

BLEAP® for NIOS, a customised tech platform for the NIOS Virtual Open School developed by Microsoft and Ed4All, provides learners with a personalised learning experience for improved learning results. BLEAP® for NIOS provides a holistic learning experience by combining live classrooms and labs, recorded sessions, remote proctored tests and assessments, and skill-based courses and certificates. Digital courses on technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cyber security, and data sciences will be available to all NIOS students.

The platform, which will feature easy-to-consume modules such as live demos, hands-on workshops, and assignments, is designed to improve the classroom experience and facilitate student achievement. Security is at the heart of BLEAP® for NIOS, which is based on the Microsoft stack of Teams, MS365, and Azure.

"Education is not a race to gain degrees, but a transforming instrument," said Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India, in response to the introduction of the NIOS Virtual Open School. “The government is aiming to ensure that the internet reaches all of the country's local schools. The NIOS Virtual School is a novel learning paradigm that demonstrates how using technology and innovation can help to increase educational inclusiveness. Through virtual live classrooms and virtual labs, the school will provide advanced digital learning platforms.”, he continued.

“Technology is playing a bigger role than ever in altering education, enhancing learning outcomes, and better preparing students for the modern world of work,” said Navtez Bal, Executive Director, Public Sector, Microsoft India. “Our collaboration with NIOS, which will empower over 170 million learners across the country, is a critical step toward guaranteeing educational and skill fairness. As we rapidly transition to a digital economy, the skills required in the future will be vastly different from those required now. We are committed, along with Ed4All, to providing kids with the technology, skills, and resources they need to succeed in a digital world.”, he said.

“Ed4All is happy to work with Microsoft and NIOS to enable NIOS Virtual Open School with BLEAP® for NIOS, a custom-built learning platform developed for NIOS,” stated Sanjay Viswanathan, Chairman of Ed4All. “Through the most advanced Open Schooling, any learner in the country will be able to become employable. Blended Learning and Pedagogy (BLEAP®) is a Big Leap in classroom education. We are encouraged by Dharmendra Pradhan Ji's vision for us and Prof Saroj Sharma Ji's eagerness to put it into action quickly. Ed4All is dedicated to providing India's 170 million learners with cheap, world-class education and preparing them to meet the challenges of the digital age.”, he continued