SINGAPORE - Students moving to home-based learning on Wednesday (April 8) amid the coronavirus pandemic will be able to get free access to an e-learning service, as well as news content under a tie-up announced on Tuesday.
Snapask, an Asia-based education technology company, will pledge over 10,000 free subscriptions to its e-learning mobile app to Singapore-based students, while Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) will give these subscribed students 14 days' online access to all news content from its flagship publication, The Straits Times.
Snapask will work with ST's schools team to curate and select articles on the Snapask app to help students with their studies.
In a joint statement, the two companies said: "The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a paradigm shift in the education sector and made it necessary for students, parents and educators to adopt new solutions.
"Snapask and SPH see an increased demand for digital, personalised and on-demand educational solutions which they want to cater to."
The first phase of Snapask's free e-learning service is limited to 1,000 subscriptions. Students can sign up on a first-come-first-served basis from Wednesday to April 15.
This first bundle will include 30 private tutoring sessions in a range of subjects from the primary school to junior college level - which add up to 10 to 15 hours - with qualified tutors and online learning content.
The bundle will also allow students to access ST's app and website to read free online content for 14 days, as well as curated articles on the Snapask app.
The remaining free subscriptions are planned for a second phase, with dates yet to be announced.
Snapask's mobile app matches students to a team of tutors.
Students can use the app to take photos of homework questions they want help with and they will be matched with a tutor who will provide help in one-on-one sessions.
Its tutors consist of students from universities such as Singapore Management University, the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University.
Snapask also offers content such as studying tips, advice on preparing for examinations, and advanced courses in professional certifications.
Students can go to Snapask's website for more information. They can sign up for the service at this page.
The Government announced on April 3 that all schools will be moved to home-based learning from Wednesday to May 4 as part of a series of tough measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus in Singapore.
Mr Timothy Yu, founder and chief executive of Snapask, said: "Technology will play a key role in defeating this pandemic, not just in medical treatment, but also to minimise disruptions to our daily lives and to introduce a new standard for how education can be provided online effectively. "
Ms Lydia Lim, head of SPH Schools, said: "With health authorities advising social distancing and closures of schools and tutoring facilities, it's crucial for us to do our part to provide convenient ways to learn. We are glad to work with Snapask to create online content that can be consumed by students and educators anywhere, anytime."
