KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Region 4 arm of the National Secondary Students’ Council (NSSC) is urging immediate and coordinated intervention over the continued use of Petersfield High School as an emergency shelter months after Hurricane Melissa.

In a release on Friday, the council noted that in the immediate aftermath of a crisis, Petersfield High offered care and refuge to families who were left without homes after the October 28, 2025 storm.

However, the NSSC stressed that emergency response must transition into structured recovery. With the campus still functioning as both a school and a shelter months later, student leaders say the prolonged arrangement is undermining access to stable, safe and uninterrupted learning.

Petersfield High operates on a shift system, where limited contact hours and stretched resources present ongoing challenges. The continued occupation of one grade block has stalled critical repairs and reduced classroom space, forcing some grades off the daily timetable and limiting core subjects to as little as once every two weeks.

“Basically, I am not learning,” stated Orlando Samuels, student president of Petersfield High School. “Half of my important classes, I only have every two weeks. It draws back time and flexibility for learning, which is unacceptable.”

The council argues that repairs to the occupied block cannot proceed while it remains in use, further delaying the school’s full restoration. Beyond the logistical strain, students report difficulty concentrating amid residential activity during instructional hours. Noise disruptions, blurred boundaries between living and learning spaces, and reports of inappropriate language and adult conduct near minors have heightened concerns about safety and psychological well-being.

Following a recent campus tour, Region 4 Assistant Vice President Govaunia James said the conditions were “not conducive to learning”.

“While we recognise the humanitarian need for shelter after a crisis, what was meant to be temporary is now compromising students’ right to a safe and focused educational environment,” James said.

“I observed students trying to learn while exposed to visible living conditions that would distract any young person. After speaking with the guidance department, I was further concerned by reports of inappropriate exposure within the shared space. This raises serious issues regarding safety, psychological well-being, and the integrity of the school environment,” he continued.

James warned that the situation raises serious questions about the integrity of the school environment and the protection of minors.

Echoing the call for intervention, Region 4 Vice President Rajheim Nelson said the dual-use arrangement disproportionately affects students already navigating a shift system.

“Petersfield High School is already a shift school, which means students are working with limited time and resources. They are already at a disadvantage. To expect them to learn properly in an environment that is unstable and disruptive is unacceptable. Our students deserve to feel safe when they walk onto their school compound. While we sympathise with displaced families, it cannot be at the expense of our children’s education. This situation requires urgent action,” Nelson explained.

The council is therefore recommending a clearly communicated, time-bound relocation plan for displaced residents into suitable long-term housing from the Government of Jamaica, ministerial coordination to ensure full classroom access in the shortest possible time frame, structured academic recovery measures to address lost instructional time, and safeguards to ensure the protection of students’ psychological and environmental well-being while the school is being used as a shelter.

The NSSC is recommending a clearly communicated, time-bound relocation plan to transition displaced residents into suitable long-term housing through the Government of Jamaica, along with ministerial coordination to restore full classroom access as quickly as possible.

Additionally, the council is calling for structured academic recovery measures to address lost instructional time and safeguards to protect students’ psychological and environmental well-being for the duration of the shelter arrangement.

“Education is a pillar of national development,” James stressed. “We cannot expect our future leaders to thrive in an environment never intended to function as both a school and a prolonged shelter.”