For most Jamaicans the new school term after the long summer holidays was always going to be difficult because of rising costs and dislocation brought on by Hurricane Beryl two months ago.

The horrific death in a motor vehicle crash of a 10-year-old being taken to school by his mother, a police constable who is now hospitalised with serious injuries, served as added pain for everyone.

The incident, reportedly triggered by a motorist overtaking a line of traffic, again underlines unruliness on the roads that is far too prevalent in Jamaica, even as we recognise that it is human to err.

Reckless driving, ongoing violent crime, and extreme social delinquency remind us that on a daily basis — including at school — greater attention is badly needed to nurture empathy, emotional intelligence, values and attitudes.

As was anticipated, hurricane damage has forced a phased start to the new school term. Wet weather, including thunder storms over recent weeks, has meant even slower than expected repair work.

More heavy rains and strong winds expected Wednesday, as unstable weather moves across Jamaica, may well make the situation worse.

And as usual there’s the annual cry of teacher shortages, as personnel leave for ‘greener pastures’ — some at very short notice.

Yet, perhaps the biggest problem facing Jamaicans as the new school term begins is the high cost of education — fees, books, transportation, and meals.

Described by Prime Minister Andrew Holness as “pain points” these costs trigger poor school attendance, even non-attendance for many children — some being forced to quit in their mid teens to seek work.

As the Orlando Patterson report on Jamaica’s education system said, such realities result in far too many young people entering the labour market unskilled, barely literate, and illiterate.

As part of plans to improve education and provide skills for the job market, the prime minister has reiterated the need for investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

He tells us that Government is now closer to implementing plans for six new STEM schools which, he says, “…will not be run under the current education system in terms of the Education Act. We will develop a new scheme of managing those schools because, for us, it is a strategically important programme”.

The State-run Jamaica Information Services (JIS) reports Mr Holness as saying: “We need to create very quickly, very rapidly with guarantees, a generation of Jamaicans who are highly trained in STEM. This is a national priority….

“We have identified the lands…; we are now going through… the investment assessment process. Once that is finished, we will start with building one school and then we’ll fund until we have all six built.”

There is no doubt that the drive towards a comprehensive STEM education system is absolutely crucial.

However, even more so it seems to us, must be a drive to correct the inequities which plague education in Jamaica.

For as the Patterson report reminded us: “There are two extremely different school systems in the country. One that is world-class and serves mainly the ‘haves’, the other, pertaining to the vast majority, that serves the ‘have nots’ and that is largely failing…”

That situation can’t continue for much longer, if as a nation we are truly committed to ensuring social stability and a brighter future.