TikTok enlists Rachel Riley and English Heritage for education drive

TikTok is launching a new education initiative with the likes of Rachel Riley and English Heritage to help teach maths and provide facts about the country’s history.

#LearnOnTikTok is part of an £11.5 million investment to be shared across Europe which will play host to new short-form entertainment and learning videos, ranging from life hacks and science tutorials to motivational tips and quick cooks.

TV presenter and mathematician Riley will share visual maths skills and tips on the platform.

Charity English Heritage will aim to take an entertaining and informative approach on the sites it manages, starting with a mini-guided tour of Stonehenge on Friday, ahead of a live stream of the summer solstice sunrise at the prehistoric monument on Saturday morning.

The University of Cambridge has been recruited to take on science and research, while Dr Rangan Chatterjee – known for his appearances across the BBC – will address health and wellness.

“People are time poor – condensing health and wellbeing advice into bite-sized chunks makes it easier to engage with and more likely to be applied,” said Dr Chatterjee.

“I have always been an advocate of small changes making a big difference; you can change your life in five minutes, you can certainly learn something new in less than a minute.”

Elsewhere, British actor Sean Sagar will provide guidance on auditions, and Dr Julie Smith will focus on alleviating stress and anxiety.

Rich Waterworth, TikTok general manager for the EU, said: “Whether you’re a working parent, a job-seeker, or simply a curious mind, we believe that short-form video is the perfect format for people to continue learning in a way that accounts for the busy lifestyles many of us lead today.”