KINGSTON, Jamaica — President of Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Professor Lincoln Edwards, is calling for a partnership between the Government and churches to convert their spaces into learning centres.

He posited that these centres can be used to engage more young people in areas such as technology and equip them for the future.

Professor Edwards made the call during the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) Industry/Academics Conference 2025, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, on October 1.

“In the early ‘80s I was advocating with my church to use the churches as a learning centre, because most of those churches are closed during the week; they have services on Wednesdays and Saturdays,” the president said.

“The Seventh-day Adventist Church organisation has 750 churches and they have human resource capital sitting in those churches, so imagine if you were to place computers in those churches as a direct strategy of the Government to assist those churches and then the human capital there would then bring the community persons to do work right there, to study, to learn,” he argued.

He pointed out that males outnumber females in the technology courses offered at NCU and argued that the greater use of the church centres, particularly by males, could reduce some of the social problems being experienced in the society.

“I would tell you that the only courses that males outnumber females in at Northern Caribbean University are technology courses.  So, in other words, males have a natural affinity for technology; they want to be there, so a number of the social problems we are having with males could be helped by having them come to these churches, get involved in technology that they love, So we have to look at the strategy broadly to include some of these communities,” Professor Edwards said.

Responding to a question regarding AI, virtual learning and its impact on students, the professor pointed out that AI has revolutionised learning.

“It has personalised it and in a true sense, no child needs to be left behind, because they just need access to the technology which they can use; so, I think it’s a great tool to have,” he said.

Meanwhile, President, CMU, Professor Andrew Spencer, said critical analysis is even more important in the teaching and learning environment.

“With this kind of access to information and tools in the way that students now have it, what it has done is to level the playing field; it means that  lecturers and teachers have to step their game up; it means that superficial sharing and delivery of information is no longer important, because I can get that elsewhere,” he said.

“So, the need for the critical analysis and all those other things which are evolving would be important, but for the student, I think it is an important time. We are at an inflection point and how we respond to it, as institutions, will determine what our future looks like in keeping pace with the rest of the world,” he added.

—JIS