A significant step forward in educational infrastructure is under way with the introduction of new school building standards islandwide, focusing on safety, sustainability, and student-focused design.
The initiative was outlined during a sensitisation session on the New Building Standards for Schools, hosted by the National Education Trust (NET) on Friday (June 27), at the Overseas Examinations Commission, in Kingston.
Stakeholders, including architects, contractors, and Education Ministry officials, gathered to explore the comprehensive framework aimed at transforming learning spaces nationwide.
“These new standards represent a major step towards greater uniformity, quality assurance and safety across all school construction projects,” declared Manager of Marketing, Communications and Public Relations at the NET, Oraine Wallace.
“This session isn’t just about compliance or ticking boxes; it’s about ensuring that every structure we design, every brick we lay, and every decision we make contribute to a school environment where students can thrive and teachers can safely deliver quality education,” he continued.
The event, branded as ‘Engage 360’, was designed not only to inform participants but to foster collaboration and alignment among the education sector’s diverse partners.
“These standards need also to be shaped through your own voices, so we need to hear from you today. You are the practitioner,” emphasised Deputy Chief Education Officer, Planning and Development Division, Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Viviene Johnson.
“What we want to unveil today… is not just a technical framework but a national blueprint of excellence in educational infrastructure,” she added.
She noted that the new building codes are grounded in international best practices yet customised for Jamaica’s unique cultural and environmental context. “They’re responsive to green building technologies and climate resilience,” she added, reinforcing the Government’s vision for future-ready schools.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of NET, Latoya Harris-Ghartey, highlighted the broader infrastructure strategy and its alignment with national priorities.
“One of the main recommendations was a framework for infrastructure development… to ensure that we have the standard, policy, [and] strategies for infrastructure development,” she said.
“These are the standards that we have now implemented as a Ministry for the public sector, and we are working with the Bureau of Standards to elevate those to national voluntary standards, so that private entities also can tap into and use it,” the Executive Director continued.
Mrs. Harris-Ghartey emphasised that infrastructure is not merely a construction concern but a vital element of educational transformation.
“Our schools are used as shelters in times of disaster, so we have to really build them with that in mind. These facilities need to be resilient; they need to be able to stand up to rigour; they need to be cool, because they have multiple functions,” she said.
“We have to adjust our learning environment, so that it can be more student-centred… designing with the environment in mind,” she added.
In the meantime, Ms. Johnson reinforced the profound role schools play beyond academics.
“A school is not simply a structure of walls and windows… . A school is a place where dreams are born, where values are nurtured, and where a nation’s future takes root. Let us ensure that every school is a beacon of safety, of pride, of possibility,” she said.
As these standards move toward implementation, all stakeholders are being urged to contribute their expertise and insights.
“Let us build not just with blocks and skills but with vision and purpose… . Let us prepare to build the schools that our children deserve,” Ms. Johnson urged.