Education technology business MyEd has won a share of a £40 million tech innovation fund from the UK government.

The Birmingham-based education technology business, led by chief executive Upkar Pardesi, former dean of Birmingham City University Business School, works with educational institutions and local authorities to digitally transform admissions and home learning.

MyEd is currently developing MyEd SchoolPlaces, an online portal to revolutionise school admission for parents and local authorities. The funding is for the development of a home learning platform for schools and pupils in the UK as schools aim to maintain teaching provision during the Coronavirus lockdown.

The project is funded by Innovate UK and is being developed in partnership with Birmingham City Council to play a vital role in connecting teachers with pupils who are unable to attend traditional classroom lessons.

Pardesi said: "The provision of some continuity of formal education to all pupils affected by the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the government's top priorities - teachers are currently using existing platforms such as Zoom, Teams, WhatsApp and Google Classroom - these services on their own, are not adequate for formal home learning and they tend to lead to a fragmented and frustrating experience.

"Teachers will be able to use MyEd’s platform as a lesson planning tool and to create their own learning materials; this will aid the delivery of formal learning as part of their daily practice, not just during a crisis," he continued, adding: "AI-driven systems will source pre-existing content, from sources such as YouTube, that is in line with subjects and topics from the National Curriculum, to assist students further.”

Secretary of state for business Alok Sharma said: "The Coronavirus crisis has created challenges that impact the way we live, work and travel, but has also prompted a wave of new innovations as businesses look at ways to solve some of the challenges facing our world today."

Share Story: