A Jamaican family business is merging its knowledge of modern technology and teaching methods to assist hundreds of young students with learning challenges achieve their educational goals.

Information technology engineer Jamil Bennett, supported by his parents Angela and Karl Bennett, heads a young company which not only provides customised learning to a range of students, but also offers a full internationally accredited high school diploma by way of the computer — either in their facility or even from the students’ homes.

“Our services are based on individualised training. The tools are smart enough to know what level the students are at,” explains Bennett, about the learning services offered by KBC Learning Centre, which started operations in Jamaica in 2006.

Located on the premises of the Overseas Examinations Commission — which also houses Tennis Jamaica, the island’s premier tennis facility on Manhattan Road in Kingston — KBC does detailed assessments of students aged five to 18 to determine the level of education and learning style before creating a specialised programme for each student.

The entity started in Washington, DC in the United States where it assisted students under the No Child Left Behind Act, used to assist students struggling in the US education system.

Jamil’s parents Angela, a teacher, and Karl, an engineer specialising in school improvement projects, brought their own skills to the business.

Marked improvement in academic performance is seen in most students after six to eight months of the programme, which is carefully monitored by KBC staff, the managing director notes.

Most students take 16 to 20 hours of learning per week, and assessments of their progress are done on request.

“Each student has an academic monitor to ensure that the programme is being followed as it should,” Bennett said, adding that quality assurance persons ensure the software is catering to the students’ learning style.

One service is the internationally recognised high school diploma from Kaplan Virtual Education exclusive partners in the region.

KBC is currently planning its third summer programme, which promises an exciting menu of academics, robotics, field trips, and sports, particularly tennis right on location.

Bennett says KBC’s programmes are ideally suited to students many of whom he says are wrongly deemed disabled.

“One of the misconceptions in Jamaica is that students are sometimes misdiagnosed as being slow learners. We find children thought to have learning disabilities are actually gifted and talented and perform well above the average student, and that’s when they start to give trouble,” he told Career & Education.

Such specialised education services are not exactly cheap; the equivalent of US$130 for an assessment of a primary school student, US$160 of the secondary student assessment and approximately $9,000 for a basic monthly intervention may be out of the reach of many.

However, Bennett says KBC’s services are affordable when compared to similar products in the US.

But understanding the reality of most Jamaicans, Bennett is thankful to several private companies and individuals who have sponsored children from local primary and high schools to be assessed and access the facilities.

Annotto Bay All-Age, St Mary Technical, Scotts Hall Primary, and Sandy Bay Basic School are among the institutions which have benefited from KBC through the help of sponsors.

Bennett is particularly proud of KBC’s assistance to 139 students of St Richard’s who he said were performing at kindergarten level.

His comments were supported by Betty-Ann Barrett, literacy teacher at St Richard’s, who said KBC helped to improve the performance of the slow learners at her school.

“They were all reading below their grade level. The programmes keep them interested, focused and motivated,” she said of the students. “I would say it is a very good way to go.”

KBC’s services have received the blessing of Tennis Jamaica, the governing body for the sport in the country. The two have developed a partnership which sees KBC occupying office space at Tennis Jamaica, and KBC offering academic services to several of the country’s outstanding junior players who have moved from rural Jamaica to the capital to maximise opportunities to develop their sport.

“Kaplan is ideal for student athletes as traditional schools sometimes don’t cater to their hectic athletic schedules. They have shown marked improvement,” Bennett said.

The students are pleased with their educational progress since joining Kaplan Virtual High School.

“I find it much easier and better here. You don’t have to worry about not getting enough attention from the teacher,” said 16-year-old Siquena Sinclair, the number one under-18 female player in Jamaica and a former student of the Academy, a small private school.

Sinclair, as well as Montegonian Camarsh Crombie — her number one male counterpart — plans to go to college in the US to further her tennis and education after completing Kaplan High.

“I find it easy here because there is more one-on-one with the teacher and the groups are small. It’s like a family,” said Crombie.

Bennett also thanks the Overseas Examination Commission, which has graciously housed KBC since March last year.

KBC would like to offer its services to the Government, but discussions with Ministry of Education officials have not yielded results so far.