Gov’t Looking at Innovative, Flexible Arrangements to Resume Learning

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government is prioritising the resumption of learning, through innovative and flexible arrangements, for students in parishes worst affected by Hurricane Melissa.

The hurricane made landfall in Jamaica as a historic Category 5 storm on October 28 causing widespread destruction, particularly in the parishes of Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth, Hanover, St. James and Trelawny.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (Nov. 4), Dr. Holness informed that 446 schools have been impacted, with learning disrupted for 150,000 students.

He said the focus is on safe reopening where facilities permit, continuity of learning through blended or remote format, alternative sites and accelerated reconstruction to return students to permanent classrooms as soon as possible.

“We have all seen the images, roofs lost, classrooms flooded, learning tools destroyed. Many schools also face extended outages of electricity, water and internet. The situation in the western parishes is particularly grave and poses a real risk of significant learning loss,” the Prime Minister said.

“Our children need their classrooms and the structure they provide. Every day out of school is a day of lost opportunity yet, Madam Speaker, we must also be pragmatic. The doors of many schools cannot reopen immediately so, while we move with urgency to repair and rebuild, we must act now to resume learning through innovative and flexible arrangements so that no child is left behind,” he said.

Dr. Holness pointed out that the Government successfully navigated the education system through the pandemic and in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.

“We will do so once again. We will get our children learning safely, swiftly and in stronger, smarter schools than before,” he said.