Microsoft has officially launched Minecraft: Education Edition, a special version of the game designed to be used by schools. The game is now available in 50 countries around the world and in a total of 11 different languages.
The main difference between Minecraft: Education Edition and other version of the game is that it includes what Microsoft calls "Classroom Mode." With this, teachers can use a companion app to interact with students, give out items and change world settings. From Microsoft:
Classroom Mode offers educators the ability to interact with students and manage settings from a central user interface. We're also continuing to update Minecraft: Education Edition to include new game features from other editions of Minecraft. In the official version, available now, all the latest updates to Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition beta will be included.
Minecraft: Education Edition is now available, costing $5 per user, per year. The game is also available through with a volume licensing discount. Educators can head over to the Minecraft education site to learn more.