The article on page 18 of Wednesday’s edition of this newspaper, headlined ‘Teens ditch school for work’, is a sobering reminder of the dreadful, far-reaching consequences of Hurricane Melissa.

As if the storm’s trail of death, economic and infrastructural devastation, extreme psychological and emotional strain were not enough, we are told many children have been missing school in its wake.

And while Wednesday’s article focused on high schools in St Elizabeth, we would be past naive to believe that education in other storm-ravaged parishes of western Jamaica are not similarly impacted.

As it is, school leaders at Newell High and Black River High in St Elizabeth’s south-west, and at Maggotty High and Sydney Pagon High in the north-west and north-east, respectively, say hundreds of their students have not attended school since reopening following the Christmas break.

Ms Audrey Ellington, principal of Newell High, said that of 700 students enrolled, just over 400 had so far turned up. Predictably, displacement caused by house damage and so forth, forcing people to seek shelter elsewhere, is being cited as a contributory factor.

Unsurprisingly, too, we hear that some students have taken jobs as unskilled labourers in construction and otherwise to support themselves and households. According to Ms Ellington, “What we find happening… is that the older students, grades 10 and 11, many of them are working, especially the males. They are engaged in construction work… getting $5,000 and $6,000 a day…”

Such is the scale of ongoing rebuilding in storm-hit areas, we suspect both skilled tradesmen and unskilled assistants are in short supply. The harsh truth is that many of those teenagers now on the job won’t easily return to school. For as Mr Sean Graham, principal of Maggotty High, framed it: “Everything comes down to economics. Many of those boys, and even some of the young ladies, if they have job opportunities they are going to take them, because now the house needs support…”

That uncomfortable reality adds to the fall-out in education experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and even Hurricane Beryl which sideswiped southern Jamaica 18 months ago.

We are inclined to suspect that some of those who have now joined the working world were struggling in school and see little benefit in returning. The situation provides yet another headache for Education Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon, who has spoken feelingly and repeatedly about the unacceptably high levels of illiteracy in high schools and the urgent need for corrective action.

“One of the most painful things for me is to see, especially a young man in high school who cannot read…” the minister was reported as saying last July.

The challenge for Dr Morris Dixon, her ministry, and all educators will be to find ways to encourage even those who have joined the workforce too early to never give up on education and training; to nurture and facilitate the concept that, even as young people earn, they can also be educated and trained.

Hurricane Melissa has thrown many obstacles in our way, but where there’s will there will always be pathways.