Eighteen-year-old Lesannie Rose was ecstatic after winning the 2025 National Youth in Agriculture Award in the ‘Pimento Grafting’ category, at the 71st Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show in Clarendon, on August 2. A proud 4-H Club member and youth farmer, Lesannie comes from Westmoreland and is a sixth-form student at Frome Technical High School. The National Youth in Agriculture...

In a career that spans academia, government, and corporate boardrooms, Professor Andrew Spencer, CD, has consistently chosen purpose over prestige. His journey—defined by bold decisions, principled leadership, and an unwavering dedication to national development—has propelled him to the helm of one of the region’s premier tertiary institutions - the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU). At just 44, Professor Spencer serves not...

The top-performing female Primary Exit Profile (PEP) student in State care wore a bright smile on Thursday (August 21), proudly celebrating her success. In an interview with JIS News after the Child Protection and Family Services Agency’s (CPFSA) 2025 PEP Awards Ceremony, held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston, she shared that on PEP results day she was overcome...

With schools set to reopen for the new school term in a few days, motorists are being urged to take additional safety precautions, as they make their back-to-school preparations. Manager for Corporate Communications and Public Relations at the Island Traffic Authority (ITA), Dontae Matthews, tells JIS News that roadways are more congested during this period. “The new school year is...

The top-performing male Primary Exit Profile (PEP) student in State care says “some days I wanted to do other things but I had to study and work hard”. “I sacrificed screen time, outside time and a lot of other things,” he told JIS News in an interview. His grit and determination have earned him a place at Wolmer’s Boys’ School...

The Guanaboa Vale Primary School in St. Catherine is progressing well, says Principal, Tracey-Ann Brown. In an interview with JIS News, she notes that there has been improvement in academic performance, notably in the recent sitting of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations, and growth in enrolment. Of the 18 students who sat the exams, 33 per cent were placed...

Encouraged by the improved performance of students in the 2025 Primary Exit Profile (PEP), the administration of the Spanish Town-based McAuley Primary School is looking towards even better results come next year. “This cohort has shown remarkable growth with 60 out of our 113 students placed in Pathway One, which is the highest level of readiness,” Principal of the school,...

More than 120 children received school supplies and free dental counselling at the fourth annual Back-to-School Outreach, hosted by Alleluia Ministries International (AMI) on August 16, at Harmony Beach Park in Montego Bay, St. James. The initiative, which surpassed its initial target of 100 beneficiaries, provided students with books, school bags containing school items, along with access to dental information,...

The Birnamwood Primary School in Portland is celebrating the performance of their students in the 2025, Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations. Overall, eight students were placed on Pathway 1, indicating that they are performing satisfactorily and are ready to access the grade-seven curriculum. One student was placed on Pathway 2, which is for students who need some level of support...