Dear Editor,

Education is the cornerstone of youth development and the bedrock of any strong nation. It is, therefore, incomprehensible that, on the eve of a new academic year, a significant number of schools damaged by Hurricane Melissa remain in a state of severe disrepair. The Government of Jamaica, and by extension the Ministry of Education, should have taken every necessary step to ensure that all reconstruction and critical repairs were completed on schedule.

During recent tours across affected regions, the minister of education herself, Dr Dana Morris Dixon, expressed deep frustration at the sluggish progress on the ground. In fact, she was forced to conduct unannounced spot visits just to catch contractors off-guard and verify whether work was actually taking place.

This raises critical questions: Following the initial damage assessments, what actionable strategic plan was put in place to ensure our schools would be fully operational for the 2026 academic year? Where were the dedicated task forces to manage each site, and which regional ministry officials were assigned to monitor and enforce these timelines?

Jamaica’s children should never be forced to endure makeshift classrooms, sweltering tents, and deplorable physical conditions during the rainy and hurricane season.

Accountability must be non-negotiable, and the following measures ought to be taken:

• Non-performing contractors should face immediate penalties, termination of agreements, and replacement by competent firms.

• Officials within the Ministry of Education tasked with project supervision who failed to enforce deadlines must also be held responsible.

• While supporting local enterprise is important, chronic delays and poor project management cannot be excused when our children’s future is at stake. The Government should explore emergency engineering and logistical support from international partners — such as US or Chinese military engineering units — to rapidly rehabilitate critical school infrastructure.

Our students deserve safe, functional learning environments, and the Administration must treat the rehabilitation of our schools with the urgency it demands.

Marvin M Foster

Doctoral student at Cambridge College

marvinfoster85@yahoo.com