Yesterday Google just announced a new initiative to put Android tablets in schools and take on Apple on turf it has dominated for years, and its calling it Google Play for Education. It’s a custom app store filled with curated apps specifically for students and educators. Developers can start submitting apps this summer, and the store will launch this fall possibly in time for the next school year.
It requires all students to have a Google account, and teachers can then pick an app and install it across all of the classroom’s tablets. The store itself will be sorted by grade level and subject matter. Google’s Chris Yerga also mentioned that Google was making it easier and cheaper to get Android tablets in schools, but there were otherwise no details on how Google will solve the longstanding problem of getting expensive hardware out to students. We do know that Google is already testing Google Play for Education in schools ahead of its planned fall rollout.
