Mr Yates, who now lives in Dorset, was chosen from 1,400 candidates by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust to receive a travel fellowship award for the two-month trip. Now he hopes to use what he has learned to assist children with autism and learning disabilities.
Information technology is an enabler, it tackles learning in a different way.
So whatever age, whatever ability, people can still come to learning. Mr Yates began his career in education as a pupil at Martin Frobisher Junior School, Normanton. He transferred to Normanton County Secondary School, now Freeston High, and then to Normanton Grammar. He puts his zest for learning down to his Normanton schooldays. I was greatly assisted right the way through school, he said.