EDYOU FM’s mobile app provides access to more learning materials

As part of another progressive move to propel the use of technology in the education sector, the Ministry of Education’s radio station, EDYOU FM, launched its EDpal learning mobile application on Monday. 

The app has various educational content for learners from the nursery to the tertiary levels. 

The features of the app include low latency and bandwidth, scalability, a friendly user interface, an artificial intelligence engine, and analytics.  

During remarks at the launch at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand applauded EDYOU FM’s team led by Phillip Williams for his exemplary leadership, innovation and progression at the radio station.

The education minister added his leadership has moved the country’s thinking from a place of not being aware of distance education to a place of easier comfort where people can learn.

Minister Manickchand highlighted, “The importance of this app, without me having to say this, is that we can do and we can educate on the radio where people cannot get the app… This took leadership and vision and an understanding of the need that will have to evolve with the need of the people leading this mission. 

The radio station continues to provide equity and equality in distance education countrywide.  

“I hope to see results that are changed in classrooms because of this supportive and supplemental learning…The journey of this radio station and distance education, generally, it is easy to forget that this has been done in three short years. So, clearly perfection in lessons, in the effectiveness of the lessons, and the reach of the broadcast…,” she said.

To the parents, Minister Manickchand recommended, “As parents, I am asking you to try to find the balance and continue to monitor children on devices but to embrace what those can do for the development of our young minds.”

Director of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), Quenita Walrond-Lewis emphasised, “You can now download across any platform and have your children have access once again to curriculum-aligned content, as well as premium high-value quality edutainment that is safe, that is child friendly built with them in mind.”

While outlining the features of the app, Director of EDYOU FM, Phillip Williams added that technology can be utilised in a creative manner for learners.

“You are now able to, from the app, measure the usage and the child’s and parents’ interactions. We can further get correlations from their locations, subjects and their grades. This information will inform policy and content delivery. So, overall, we are proud of the app,”Williams noted.

EDYOU FM is the only radio station that provides educational and edutainment content 24 hours per day.

Assistant Chief Education Officer for Primary, Navendra Singh, Deputy Chief Education Officer for Amerindian and Hinterland Education Development, Marti DeSouza, 

other officials and education officers were also in attendance.