Using a remote control for an EV3 robot? I have just started to get into using a LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robot. I know you have to create a program on the laptop, then it has to be downloaded to the EV3 block.

Can you use a remote control to start the downloaded program with cable disconnected?

I have the Education 45544 EV3 set, but I do not want to buy a remote control if it will not work.
You can't start a program with the remote (8885) or beacon (45508), however you can certainly have your program respond to a remote or beacon if you have the IR sensor (45509). So what you desire can for example be achieved by embedding your base program in one big loop and at the start of the loop have the program wait for a button pressed on the remote or beacon.

Unfortunately the education version does not contain the IR sensor (it is distributed with the commercial version 31313) so you will have to buy that one separately as well...