[Courtesy of KT]
According to KT, Scholastic has distributed books to 165 countries and about 83 percent of public schools in the United States use the book publisher's textbooks and programs. KT forged a partnership with Scholastic in 2019 to produce various digital education content by combining KT's information and communication technology (ICT) and internet infrastructure. The two companies have recreated three Scholastic textbooks into animated video content.
KT said in a statement that the company will roll out new content named "Scholastic Season 2" through the company's internet protocol TV (IPTV) platform on June 1. The content was created based on Scholastic's textbook series "Sight Word Stories." After showcasing 100 videos for free by the end of July, the company will offer content for users with membership starting in August. Anyone can watch the video content every Thursday. "The Scholastic series was created to alleviate parents' concerns regarding English education," KT's media platform business head Kim Hoon-bae said in a statement.
In 2011, South Korea's education ministry embraced education technology (edutech) by distributing tablet PCs to schools in remote rural areas. Some schools have adopted digital textbooks for students using augmented reality and virtual reality headsets. Data cited by KT showed that the global edutech market which stood at $183 billion in 2019 is projected to reach $404 billion in 2025.
Various domestic companies are providing digital English content for children. U+ Elementary Country service, run by mobile carrier LG Uplus, is offering English newspaper-based content. Children can improve their English skills by reading English articles and their Korean translations as well as listening to MP3 files recorded by native speakers.
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