All Schools In Westmoreland, Hanover and St. James Expected to Open September 7

All schools in Region Four are expected to open for the new school term, says Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon.

While there have been repair challenges at hurricane-damaged schools across the western region, the Minister said that based on assessments conducted by the Ministry, every school in Region Four, which comprises Westmoreland, Hanover and St. James, is expected to open on Monday (September 7).

“Last night, late last night, we were at the Ministry going through every single school, region by region, and state of readiness. The report from Region Four… is that every school will be opened on Monday,” she said.

The Minister was speaking with JIS News at Ferris Primary School in Westmoreland on September 2, during her Back-to-School Readiness Visit.

Dr. Morris Dixon noted that while some schools have completed repairs, others will continue to operate using temporary arrangements, including tents, timber structures or shift systems, until outstanding works are completed.

“The key thing is we don’t want to be using them for very long, so the work is continuing during the term, and as soon as the work is finished, the classes will move out of the tents and into their classrooms,” she said.

The Ministry is also taking steps to ensure that students and teachers are comfortable in the temporary arrangements, including exploring portable cooling units for schools using tents, while timber structures have been designed with ventilation to help keep the spaces cool.

At Ferris Primary School, Principal Tracie Campbell reported that the institution is approximately 98 per cent ready to receive students.

Dr. Morris Dixon commended the school’s progress, describing the facility as a vibrant and welcoming environment, noting the significant transformation from its condition following Hurricane Melissa.

Principal Campbell said work is under way to resolve the final outstanding issue, which is the distribution of water around the school compound, and this is expected to be completed by Sunday (September 6).

She said water tanks are also available as a contingency measure should the issue not be fully resolved by the start of the term.

According to Mrs. Campbell, the restored Ferris Primary School has given a renewed sense of optimism, as teachers and parents have also been actively involved in preparing for the new academic year.

“It’s like a new beginning. It’s a new start for us,” she said, noting that parents have assisted with painting, and teachers have been taking pride in preparing their classrooms.

The Principal said she is looking forward to seeing students return to the improved facility and is confident that the school will build on its academic performance, including in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations.

Mrs. Campbell also expressed gratitude for the additional support from the Ministry, which will provide breakfast and transportation assistance for students, which will help to remove barriers affecting attendance.

Minister Morris Dixon explained that the Ministry has made a change in policy to extend support to schools serving significant numbers of students from challenging socio-economic circumstances.

“One of the reasons that we have the issues with attendance is because the parents don’t feel they can afford the food, and so in putting in the breakfast and the lunch, we expect to see more students coming,” she said.