KINGSTON, Jamaica — As schools reopen for the Easter Term, the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information has assured parents that no child’s academic future will be jeopardised by challenges beyond their control.

More than 600 educational institutions sustained damage during the passage of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa on October 28, 2025.

“Some schools will continue with temporary arrangements while major repairs continue. Some will share spaces with our innovative host schools, and others will use blended approaches, and for a little while longer, learning will continue in these modalities,” said Portfolio Minister, Senator Dana Morris Dixon.

She provided the details in a back-to-school message for the new term, which commenced on Monday.

Morris Dixon noted that beyond temporary solutions, the aim is to rebuild a stronger education sector.

“We’re not just restoring what was damaged. We must use this disaster to rethink, redesign and rebuild an education system that is safer, smarter and more resilient for the future. The level of damage we experienced just a few months ago should not be experienced again,” she said.

Meanwhile, the minister noted that, for many families, this return to school is not easy, as the new term follows one of the most challenging periods in Jamaica’s recent history.

Morris Dixon said Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica hard, especially the western end of the island, disrupting school operations and the lives of thousands of students and staff.

“From day one, our teams across the ministry, our partners, our school leaders and our communities came together. We worked around the clock to clean up, repair, restore and, most importantly, make sure our students and stakeholders can return to safe learning spaces as quickly as possible,” she said.

Morris Dixon expressed gratitude to school boards, principals and teaching and ancillary staff for their excellent leadership at the school level.

“Your creativity and your heart have gotten us to this point, and today I’m so proud to say that many schools across Jamaica will be back in session,” the minister said.

— JIS