ONE on One Educational Services plans to roll out a new software aimed at addressing the gap left by a shortage of trained teachers across Jamaica.

According to a release from the company, the “technology-driven framework” called Classroom in a Box will not only seek to address the disproportionate teacher to student ratio but will also serve as an upskilling platform for teachers.

The company’s CEO Ricardo Allen recently addressed the issue in an earnings call last month, noting that in addition to utilising Classroom in a Box, he will also capitalise on a newly acquired content studio to facilitate virtual and recorded instructions that can be distributed to schools struggling with teacher shortages.

“We are always looking to emphasise our commitment and dedication to prioritising inclusive access to education, regardless of geography. This solution will help to alleviate the issues related to students’ performance in their exams, and also to help put in place a mechanism to guard against future shocks to the education system — be it natural disasters or even another pandemic,” Allen stated

“We are looking forward to sharing this technology with all stakeholders while continuing to strengthen our company and its products, not just to our shareholders but to all Jamaicans,” he added.

Allen has also shared information on One on One’s efforts to provide teacher upskilling certifications through the platform at a recent Global Education Teacher summit hosted by Jamaican-born, Maryland-based educator Keisha Thorpe. At the event hosted by Thorpe’s Elite International, Allen, while speaking on equitable and inclusive development of teachers to address learning gaps stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, noted that four teachers will benefit from One on One’s upskilling offer.

One on One will pilot the roll-out of Classroom in a Box this month as eight schools have opted to give the programme a trial run.

“While the availability of well-trained teachers has been an underserved area for many years, the Ministry of Education was hit with a wave of migration of its teachers to North America prior to the start of the most recent school year. This development seemed sudden and gave the ministry little time to react, leaving several schools across the island without enough teachers to fulfil their staffing requirements,” the company said.

“The problem of teacher shortage is an exacerbation of an already existing issue of students being left behind, given the limitations over the past two years of functioning under varying restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” it continued.