THE significant disruption the pandemic has unleashed on the education sector has revealed the urgent need to build a more resilient infrastructure through digital technology.

CEO of One-On-One Educational Services, Ricardo Allen is confident that keeping digital solutions at the centre of national efforts will be essential to ‘future-proofing’ the education system. “Treating the education system like how we treat light and water infrastructure — through regular maintenance and implementing new technologies to remain efficient — is the only way that we will achieve a reimagined education system,” said Allen.

He made the revelation to over 10,000 teachers and policymakers at the recent annual Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) conference, held under the theme ‘Reimagining Education: Effective Practices in a Digital Age’.

“When COVID hit, we were all surprised. Many governments and schools across the world tried to react as quickly as possible and what we saw was a load of short-term solutions to fix problems that are long-standing. Given the sudden impact of the pandemic our local response was acceptable, but over time it has become obvious that many of the issues will outlast the pandemic. What we need now is a more robust, resilient, inclusive and adaptive education system that is digitally driven and therefore better able to withstand any shocks that may come in the future,” Allen added.

He explained that a first step to achieving this goal is ensuring inclusivity in the digital revolution and addressing the digital divide in Jamaica’s education system. Additionally, for a more equitable education system, the upskilling and reskilling of teachers is paramount. “For us to see advances in the education system we must prioritise training and development for our teachers at all levels. You see, the success of the future classroom rests within the hands of the ones who are leading the sessions.

Our teachers already know how to teach — they have been doing it for years. Technology is the only variable that has been added to the equation and now the question is, ‘How do we ensure teachers remain effective in a technologically enabled environment?’ The answer has to be training and development in the tools and technologies that advance learning,” said Allen.

He proposed training of teachers in the use of digital tools before they enter the classroom, as well as the granting of annual digital licences for them to stay on top of trends and access the offline intranet with training resources. Allen commended the JTA and the Ministry of Education on making the digital shift but urged private sector involvement.

“The Government plays a key role in changing the system but their efforts need to be supported. Many private sector organisations have the tools and technologies to be part of the charge forward and to assist with realising this vision. It is this partnership between the public and the private sector that is important.

I’m encouraging all stakeholders to come to the table: universities to do the research and private companies with the existing technology and expertise to build out a digital infrastructure for our education system. If we come together, our collective efforts will ultimately redound to the benefit of all parties,” said Allen.