The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is ramping up targeted support for children with disabilities affected by Hurricane Melissa. UNICEF Social Policy Officer, André Miller, explained that children with disabilities were among the hardest hit by the hurricane, facing multiple layers of vulnerability. “Families with children who have mobility or sensory impairments were [placed] in emergency shelters. Crowded and noisy...

The Portland-based Seaside Primary School has completed its ambitious air-conditioning (AC) initiative, transforming every classroom into a cooler, more comfortable, and more effective learning environment. Principal, Adli Lewis, in an interview with JIS News said that the achievement marks the end of a four-year project powered by extraordinary community support, strategic fundraising, and a commitment to the success of students....

A Portland-based school leader has been receiving widespread praise after turning the school into a hub for parents and other community members to iron their clothes, following Hurricane Melissa. Principal of the Seaside Primary School, Adli Lewis, told JIS News that the idea grew from his own experience living in one of the many communities that remained without power at...

School Boards, teachers, parents and Education Ministry personnel who have been collaborating to prepare campuses in St. Ann and Trelawny (Region Three) for reopening have been commended for their commitment in the clean-up activities. Regional Director in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth, and Information, Karlene Segre, said the schools are working to resume normal operations following the passage of...

The Jamaica National (JN) Foundation will be undertaking repairs to the DRB Grant Demonstration Basic School in Catherine Hall, St. James, which sustained major damage during the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Addressing a recent JIS Think Tank, Lead for Youth and Education Programmes at the JN Foundation, Sydoney Preddie, said the school was selected because of its location in one...

The National Education Trust (NET) has mobilised contractors across 48 schools impacted by Category Five Hurricane Melissa. Executive Director, Latoya Harris-Ghartey, told JIS News that several contractors have submitted engineering reports, with cost proposals now being verified and validated by NET’s technical team, which includes a quantity surveyor. She disclosed that instructions have been issued for contractors to begin work...

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information has activated the host school initiative to assist students whose institutions have been severely damaged and not yet reopened following the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28. Portfolio Minister, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, provided an update on the initiative while making a Ministerial statement on the impact and...