12th April 2016
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An agreement was signed on Tuesday morning between the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and FortunaPIX for the commencement of the digitization of textbooks used in public secondary schools.
Headquartered in the United States with a developing centre in India, FortunaPIX is set to begin the process almost immediately so that several, if not all of the textbooks currently being used by students will be ready for the new school year. Described as the initial phase, the project will eventually include public primary institutions, and later private schools.
Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Michael Browne, says there has been a bridging of technology and learning, taking a holistic approach in making education more advanced.
"The textbooks are all going to be intertwined and linked directly, including your exams," Minister Browne told students present at the signing ceremony. "Overall it enhances the learning process for you the students and it makes it easier for the teacher to deliver pedagogy and instruction," he noted.
FortunaPIX's Founder and CEO T.C Ashok says more than a million students and thousands of teachers from several countries around the world are exposed to the technology and products offered by his company. For Antigua and Barbuda, Ashok stated that the Tech books will be developed to the standard required by CXC, using the local curriculum and incorporating animation, quizzes, videos and word pronunciations. He has welcomed the new partnership and believes it is a positive step for the education system.
"The synergy between his (minister) vision and our solution is great, and we believe we can make the education system in Antigua one of the best in the world. We can also tell you with confidence that Antigua will be leading the digital revolution in education in this region," FortunaPIX's CEO added.
A total of 30 textbooks covering 15 subject areas are expected to be digitally converted by September, 2016.
The move to digitize the textbooks is expected to significantly reduce the expense incurred by the Board of Education. The statutory body spends more than four million dollars annually on textbooks to meet the demands of students.
For More Information Contact:
Phil George
Tel: (268) 464-7034
