Incorporation of Technology in Teaching and Learning Permanent – Minister

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, says the incorporation of technology in the teaching and learning process will remain a permanent component of the education system.

Speaking at the investor briefing for One on One Educational Services’ initial public offering (IPO), at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew on August 9, Mrs. Williams said the introduction and use of information and communications technology (ICT) in the classroom, coupled with the traditional ways of imparting knowledge, will only redound to the benefit of the country.

The greater use of technology was incorporated in the education sector due to circumstances surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Technology will remain a permanent component of the education system, and based on the work we are doing currently, based on the infrastructural development we are putting in place, based on the content that’s available to our students and platforms like One on One, we believe that we will begin to see significant benefits in the years ahead as our students become more technology literate and get to that place where they are not just consuming but they are also producing,” the Minister said.

She argued that the Government continues to invest in the provision of technological devices for students and teachers, the buildout of the national broadband programme in schools as well as the development of content that will engage teachers and students through technology, even though they have returned to the physical classroom.

The Minister said the idea is that digital devices, software and learning platforms offer a once unimaginable array of options for tailoring education to each student’s academic strengths and weaknesses, interests and motivation, personal preferences and optimum pace of learning.

Mrs. Williams said she is pleased to note that the IPO funds from this offer will be used to capitalise on long-standing strategic growth identified by investing in next-generation learning content for new and existing markets as well as investing in adaptive learning technology, using machine learning and artificial intelligence ideas for personalised learning.

“It will not replace teachers, you will still be in the classroom, we are just making it more exciting for the teachers and students,” she added.

She said the Ministry will continue to partner with One on One Educational Services to deliver programmes that will assist students.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Ricardo Allen, said more than 250,000 learners use the platform, which aims to transform training and education in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

“We are a technology company that powers education, and so we have been able to impact people in ways all across the Caribbean through our unique partnerships,” he said, adding that the company aspires to create value for global impact.

One on One Educational Services, one of the Caribbean’s leading e-learning providers, plans on raising more than $358 million in its initial public offering, with the intention to list on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE).

The IPO is priced at $1.00 per share. Sagicor Investments Jamaica Limited is the lead arranger and broker for the offer, which is scheduled to open August 12, 2022. It closes on August 19, 2022.

Headquartered in Kingston, the award-winning online learning platform, which started in 2013, offers personalised digital education and training solutions for governments, businesses and individuals across the Caribbean.

Clients benefit from e-learning courses, online training, instructional design services, and expert tutors and trainers.