EduFocal launches online PEP Academy

Jamaica’s leading online educational platform, EduFocal, on January 7, launched the newest edition in its suite of learning products, EduFocal PEP Academy, a digital education experience for grades four to six students.

The programme is designed to make learning fun and interactive for students and prepare them to excel in their Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Examinations.

In a first-of-its-kind offering, EduFocal PEP Academy will provide students with access to daily online classes, Monday through to Friday from 9:00 am – 2:30 pm; after school classes; and a daily homework centre for additional help with problem topics.

PEP Academy will also offer weekly live extra-curricular activities; a learning lab filled with timed quizzes, practice tests and over 23,000 practice questions; points, prizes and awards for top students and online report cards updated weekly for parents to keep track of their children’s progress.

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of EduFocal, Gordon Swaby, said “EduFocal’s PEP Academy is the result of discussions, thoughts, ideas and concerns of parents for the need to provide a long-term online learning solution that meets the educational needs of their children”.

He added that “PEP Academy is not a short-term solution to challenges posed by the current pandemic. It was always in the pipeline, however, with the current pandemic, we accelerated the initiative to meet the educational needs of our students. At EduFocal we believe in a blended learning approach and believe that this approach will be a major part of the education system in Jamaica and the world, which is why we are committed to infusing technology to enhance the education process”.

Mr. Swaby further stated that EduFocal’s PEP Academy is fully aligned with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information’s curriculum and that classes will commence on September 14, where students will be taught the core PEP subjects: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Mental Ability and Performance Task.

The ed-tech company is endorsed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information and is currently anticipating institutional accreditation for the entity to also facilitate the annual PEP exams. When asked what this would mean for the platform, Mr. Swaby responded, “This would make us the first online school under the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information. With this accreditation, students would be able to sit the PEP exam under the school name EduFocal like they would at any other primary or preparatory school. We are excited about receiving accreditation with the anticipated timeline being the end of September through to early October”.

EduFocal is Jamaica’s leading online learning and exam preparation platform for students in grades four through six preparing for the annual Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Examinations. It provides students with the tools, resources and confidence needed to excel in PEP. Over 100,000 parents have trusted EduFocal to prepare their students for their Grade Six Achievement Tests (GSAT), now PEP exams, since 2012. Students of EduFocal have passed for some of Jamaica’s best high schools across the island.

PEP Academy is an initiative by EduFocal to accelerate its mission of using technology to enrich the learning experience outside of the classroom as well as to help ideate and innovate the way we move forward with technology in education. It is designed to keep student’s education on track, help them successfully prepare for their exams and pass for the top high school of their choosing.

In speaking about the future of PEP Academy, Mr. Swaby indicated that the EduFocal team is looking to expand the platform to accommodate grades one to three students in the future. However, among its more immediate undertakings is the addition of features that will provide one-on-one learning support and support for children with special needs.