KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, in a release today, said, on the advice of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and based on the reports from six regional offices, it is pleased to advise the public that all schools that are in a reasonable state of readiness will open their doors to students by Wednesday, October 5.

With the exception of three schools, the ministry has been given the assurance that people in these shelters are effecting repairs to their homes, and operations will be scaled down by close of business today.

Displaced people are still seeking shelter at the Mandeville Primary and Junior High, Manchioneal and Annotto Bay primary schools.

The ministry said it is working with the relevant parish coordinators to explore the possibility of relocating these evacuees to a community centre.

The ministry is also collaborating with the regional representatives of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development and ODPEM to ensure that all schools that were used as shelters are effectively sanitised and ready for students to occupy by Wednesday morning.

“We are encouraging parents to ensure that the students return to school as quickly as possible. Research has indicated that in instances of natural disaster or a threat of such, the school is perceived by children as a psychologically and emotionally safe space. Every attempt then will be made to deploy counsellors between Thursday (October 6) and Monday (October 10) where applicable and necessary, to facilitate dialogue on students’ experiences in an effort to assist them in making sense of those experiences,” the ministry said.

They said that this will help them to cope with whatever extenuating circumstances they may be facing at home as a result of flooding.

“These counselling sessions will aid the affected students to respond to any fears or emotional impact that the threat of the hurricane might have had on them,” the release said.