Education Ministry Restoring Safe Learning Environments

Schools in western Jamaica are on a path to recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, with repair works progressing across several institutions.

Minister of Education, Youth, Skills and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, said that the objective is to reopen all hurricane-affected schools in January.

She outlined the extensive coordination required to complete assessments, secure funding, and mobilise contractors.

She commended the regional teams, the National Education Trust (NET) and the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service for their collaboration in fast-tracking repairs and restoring safe learning spaces.

The Minister highlighted the measures put in place to ensure the continuation of learning, including conducting clean-up activities, setting up temporary classrooms, and facilitating remote lessons.

The clean-up operations, which are crucial to the recovery process, bring together units and departments within the Ministry, alongside stakeholders, volunteers, and local residents to clear debris, sanitise classrooms, and create safe spaces for students.

For the Ministry, the work being undertaken is not only about driving the recovery of schools but also restoring hope in the surrounding communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

Project Lead for the Transforming Education for National Development (TREND) project, Dr. Venesse Morrison-Leon, who is overseeing the clean-up operations, told JIS News that the funds have been allocated to schools based on the extent of damage sustained.

She said that in the aftermath of the hurricane the Ministry team “moved swiftly, going directly into communities, assessing the damages, and initiating recovery efforts without delay”.

She noted the importance of giving schools a “jump start” through visible engagement in clean-up activities, sending a powerful message that recovery must be accelerated through collective action.

The first phase of clean-up operations began in mid-November and spanned two weeks across regions three (St. Ann and Trelawny) and five (St. Elizabeth and Manchester), impacting more than 15 schools.

These include Hopewell Primary, Barbary Hall Primary, Fullerwood Primary, Black River Primary and Infant, Brompton Primary School and Crawle Primary in St. Elizabeth; Servite Primary and Brown’s Town Community College in St. Ann; and Salt Marsh Primary, Wakefield Primary, Albert Town Primary, Westwood High School, Clarks Town Primary and Hastings Primary schools in Trelawny.

Recovery efforts continued in regions three, four (Westmoreland, Hanover, and St. James), and five throughout December, with activities in region four involving partnership with Project Star.

Dr. Morrison-Leon is commending residents, teachers, administrators, students, and parents for their unwavering commitment.

She noted that the reopening of schools is essential to addressing learning loss and restoring community life.

“Schools are more than places of learning; they are agents of socialisation and symbols of resilience,” Dr. Morrison-Leon pointed out.

“The Ministry’s commitment to “building back stronger” reflects this broader vision to mitigate learning loss, strengthen communities, and ensure that children are not disadvantaged by the hurricane’s impact,” she added.

She also extended praise to stakeholders from regions not directly impacted by the hurricane, who are united in support of their colleagues in the hardest-hit areas.

She highlighted region one, comprising education stakeholders in Kingston and St. Andrew, for the continued involvement in clean-up activities in western parishes and the distribution of care packages.

More than 300 volunteers have been transported into affected communities with assistance from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), and more than 200 care packages distributed to households, including those of teachers.

The Ministry is urging corporate Jamaica, community groups, and individuals to continue contributing in any way possible.

Recognising the emotional toll of the hurricane, Dr. Morrison-Leon is appealing to all Jamaicans with expertise in counselling and psychology to join forces with the Ministry to provide therapeutic support to teachers, parents, and children.

To minimise learning disruption, partnerships have been forged with schools outside the affected regions to host displaced students. In some cases, children are being taught in temporary classrooms, accommodated in teachers’ homes, or receiving assignments remotely.

Dr. Morrison-Leon points out that the Chief Education Officer in the Ministry, Terry-Ann Thomas-Gayle, along with her team, has adjusted the curriculum for the remainder of the school year to ensure that no child is left behind, while teachers are being equipped with resources to continue effective instruction.

She notes that there is also an urgent need for educational resources, which may be donated to central repositories such as the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and the National Education Trust (NET). A call to action is being made for every sector of society – engineers, medical professionals, entrepreneurs, churches, and individuals – to contribute to the recovery process.

As schools reopen and communities rebuild, Jamaica is demonstrating that resilience is not just a word but a way of life.