The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information is in discussions with administrators of external examinations to develop relief strategies for students adversely affected by Hurricane Melissa. Permanent Secretary, Dr. Kasan Troupe, reported that the Ministry met with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) two days ago and is scheduled to meet with City and Guilds on November 13. “So, SBAs...

The National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) is inviting stakeholders engaged in humanitarian outreach in communities hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa to partner with the agency and its network of more than 700 parent mentors. “What we’ve managed to do is to tap into the other entities that are delivering care packages and we go with them. So, as packages are...

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is engaging additional trucks and contractors as the agency works to clear the increase in garbage across the island, says Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie. He noted that the debris caused by Hurricane Melissa has added to the regular residential and commercial waste, and teams across the island...

Credit card donations to the Government’s official disaster relief and recovery portal, supportjamaica.gov.jm, reached US$1.08 million and J$53.2 million, as of 8:07 a.m. on Tuesday (November 11). This was disclosed by Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, during a special press briefing at Jamaica House on Tuesday. “At our next briefing on...

Power and water restoration efforts across St. James are progressing steadily in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, according to Montego Bay Mayor, Councillor Richard Vernon. Speaking with JIS News after a follow-up meeting of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) held at the St. James Municipal Corporation in Montego Bay on Monday (November 10), Councillor Vernon noted that operations teams remain...

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information is urging corporate partners and all Jamaicans who are able to assist to prioritise the education system, as schools across the island, particularly those in Western Jamaica, grapple with extensive damage caused by Hurricane Melissa. The appeal was made during a tour of affected institutions in Westmoreland on Friday, November 7, where...

The Government is reporting that more than 600 educational institutions sustained damage during the passage of category-five Hurricane Melissa. “In the affected parishes, we have a little bit over 450 schools that have been affected, and that’s across the board – infant schools, primary schools, secondary schools and also eight tertiary schools. So far, we’ve seen estimates of 616 institutions...