Thwaites Not Satisfied With Level Of Viewership On Education

Broadcast Network

Education Minister Ronald Thwaites has expressed dissatisfaction with the level of
viewership of content provided by the Education Broadcast Network (EBN).
EBN is the education ministry's virtual education initiative that produces educational
content for display on television and other electronic platforms.
Since its launch last year, the majority of content from the EBN has been carried on
cable channels Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ), Jamaica
Educational Television (JETV) and LOVE TV.
Thwaites, though he was unable to point to specific data, has, however, said the level of
viewership is unsatisfactory.
"This is why we want to expand it. We hope the viewership will grow on EBN as the
offerings get wider, but we have to use technology to equalise the educational offerings
in each school. Not every school will have a brilliant physics teacher, but if we can,
through telecommunications, put them on the television screen or computer screen,
then that will be of tremendous assistance," he told The Gleaner.
When asked if having the content on cable rather than free-to-air television was an
inhibiting factor, Thwaites said: "My understanding is - I am no expert on this - our
local cable companies are fairly universal across Jamaica now and so we have access to
21 channels now and the broadcasting regulations allow us to have further ones for
education."
 
MEDIUM TO ADDRESS DEFICITS
 
In a statement to Parliament last week, Thwaites announced that the EBN would be
used as a medium to address the deficits that exist in the teaching of mathematics in
school.
"The Ministry of Education will accelerate the use of information communication
technology to aid in the teaching and learning of math and science. In addition to
materials made available through the Education Broadcasting Network, the ministry
has partnered with several private-sector entities to provide access to online or virtual
educational resources. In due course, the ministry will announce these arrangements,"
he said.
He has since called for free-to-air television stations to air EBN content.
"We already have access to one free-to-air station, and I am hoping that the others will
favour us kindly and favour themselves. If we want good consumers and good
employees, how else will we get it unless we make the best education and training
ubiquitous?" he said.
andre.poyser@gleanerjm.com

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