After a school year battered by Hurricane Melissa, particularly in western Jamaica, but capped by improved results in the country’s major examinations, Education Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon is looking to the new school year with optimism, pointing to increased investment, and stronger infrastructure as Jamaica pushes to transform its education system.

The scale of the challenge facing schools remains stark.

According to Morris Dixon’s back-to-school message, more than 688 schools were damaged by Melissa, 313 of them severely, while almost $26 billion is being spent on repairs and reconstruction. As she has repeatedly done in the past few weeks she acknowledged, however, that the work is not advancing as quickly as the Government would like.

Still, she said preparations were being made to get schools open, including contingency arrangements for institutions where repairs have not yet been completed.

“Thanks to the excellent work of our principals, boards, and the ministry team, we are working to have all schools open tomorrow. I have to thank all who have worked so hard over the summer and who have put in place contingency plans to support reopening even where repairs are not completed,” she said.

For Morris Dixon, however, rebuilding after Melissa is only part of the task.

The Government is entering the new school year with more than $835 million in operational support for schools, representing an average 55 per cent increase in funding. The minister said all schools received the first tranche of the increased funding in June, ahead of the reopening.

More than $1 billion is also being invested in educational resources, including workbooks, readers, textbooks, e-books, virtual learning solutions, and supplementary materials.

The increased spending comes against the backdrop of what Morris Dixon described as a strong finish to the last academic year, despite the disruption caused by the Category 5 storm.

“Despite the historic, once-in- a- 100-year devastation caused by the passage of Hurricane Melissa, we ended the last academic year with improved results across our major exams — PEP, CSEC and CAPE. Jamaica’s children did so well despite so much being thrown at them!” she said.

School Bell a ring logo.

The minister is now betting on that resilience, alongside new investments, to drive further gains. In her speech she reminded the country of plans already in place.

Among the biggest initiatives is a $400-million investment in technical and vocational education at high schools. Technical high schools are to receive state-of-the-art laboratories in areas including autonomous robotics, renewable energy, virtual welding, electrical engineering, industrial controls, and optoelectronics.

The Government is also retooling science laboratories, while more than 150 satellite systems have been distributed to schools to improve Internet access, with additional devices being procured, particularly for rural institutions.

Morris Dixon said the hurricane recovery programme is similarly being used as an opportunity to improve schools beyond simply repairing the damage.

“Our Melissa reconstruction programme has not only presented an opportunity to make our schools more resilient, but it has also provided an opportunity to upgrade and renovate staffrooms for educators across Jamaica. The Staffroom Renovation Programme covers 74 institutions in the first phase, with work concentrated heavily in the parishes hardest hit by Melissa,” she said.

And while buildings, equipment and technology are central to the push, the minister also highlighted the needs of students outside the classroom.

More than 160,000 students are projected to benefit from the traditional cooked lunch programme, while another 69,000 students in the most challenged schools are expected to receive both breakfast and lunch. Meanwhile, 316 school cooks were trained and received range cook certification over the summer.

Psychosocial and psychological support, including trauma-informed services and Psychological First Aid, will also continue into the new academic year, after being intensified during the previous one.

Morris Dixon said the ambition extends beyond simply getting schools reopened and students back into classrooms.

“The ministry’s commitment is to continue transforming education so that every child, regardless of where they live or their circumstances, has a fair opportunity to learn, grow and succeed,” she said.