Dear Editor,

Hurricane Melissa ravaged the nation, leaving a significant trail of destruction. All sectors were adversely affected, including the education system.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, data provided by the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information (MoESYI) indicated that 21 tertiary institutions and 679 schools were affected nationwide, with a significant number located in the western parishes. Based on assessments conducted, 239 facilities were severely damaged, 339 sustained moderate damage, and 101 experienced minor impact.

As a nation we must applaud the efforts and strategic response of the Government; private and public sector partners, including the Diaspora; churches; and kind-hearted Jamaicans whose overwhelming support played a critical role in the process of national recovery.

Special commendation must be given to the MoESYI, which hit the ground running following the hurricane to ensure that students, teachers, and parents were supported. Interventions included the distribution of care packages, access to clinical support, roving guidance counselling services, financial assistance, and guidance on curriculum adjustments to facilitate students’ continued learning.

While national coordination and ministry-level leadership were essential to the immediate response, the true test of resilience unfolded at the school level, at which principals and teachers were required to lead under extraordinary pressure.

Although school leadership has attracted considerable public scrutiny over the past decade, particularly at the primary and secondary levels, the response to Hurricane Melissa has offered a powerful counter-narrative: In the face of personal loss and disruption, principals and teachers in affected schools demonstrated exceptional leadership, mobilising resilience, initiative, and care to prioritise student welfare and ensure continuity of learning.

Hats off to our school leaders and teachers for the emotional and psychosocial interventions being employed to restore stability, support student well-being, and guide schools back to normality. Their actions have reaffirmed the critical role of compassionate and responsive leadership in times of local and national crisis.

Moving forward, the experience of Hurricane Melissa has highlighted several critical lessons for the education sector. Foremost is the need for stronger disaster-preparedness planning at the school level, including clearly articulated emergency protocols, established contingency teaching arrangements, and reliable communication systems. Equally important is the institutionalisation of arrangements for psychosocial support, ensuring that emotional and mental-health services are not limited to post-disaster responses but are embedded within everyday school practice. The crisis has also reinforced the importance of sustained investment in leadership development, particularly in preparing principals and senior teachers to manage disruption, uncertainty, and recovery.

Finally, building a more resilient education system will require continued investment in infrastructure, digital learning continuity, and strengthened partnerships among schools, communities, government agencies, and the private sector so that future shocks can be met with coordination, compassion, and confidence.

Kudos to the educators who have exhibited fortitude and mental acuity in these volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous times!

Jacqueline Howell-Williams

Educator

jahwell2003@yahoo.com