Jamaican students recorded improved results in 18 of the 34 subjects offered in this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, including Mathematics.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, disclosed the preliminary results while addressing the 62nd Annual Conference of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) at Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny on Wednesday (August 19).

She noted that Mathematics recorded a 4.8 percentage-point improvement, with Jamaica continuing to perform above the regional average in both Mathematics and English A.

Meanwhile, the pass rate for English A was 83.6 per cent this year, compared with 85 per cent in 2025.

Senator Morris Dixon further highlighted notable improvements across several subjects, including Geography, where the pass rate increased by 16.2 percentage points; Chemistry, 9.8 percentage points; Social Studies, 8.7 percentage points; Physics, 8.3 percentage points; Technical Drawing, 6.1 percentage points; Biology, 5.1 percentage points; and Music, 4.7 percentage points.

The Education Minister further noted that the improved performance was particularly significant, given the disruption to the education system caused by Hurricane Melissa last year.

She praised teachers and school leaders for their dedication in supporting students under challenging circumstances, particularly in parts of western Jamaica that were severely affected by the Category-Five cyclone.

“I am in awe of what our teachers and leaders have been able to do… [especially] in moving mathematics up… even after a hurricane,” the Minister said.

Senator Morris Dixon congratulated students and their parents on the examination results, underscoring the importance of strong academic performance in expanding opportunities and improving future prospects for young people.

She indicated that the Ministry was continuing its analysis of the CSEC results, including student performance across the various education regions, and would provide additional details once the exercise is completed.

Applications are now open for the 2026 Prime Minister’s National Medal for Science, Technology and Innovation and the National Innovation Awards, under the theme, ‘Science Solves’.

Principal Director of Science at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Dr. Natwaine Gardner, told a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’ on Thursday (August 20) that the Awards are a key component of the Government’s efforts to strengthen Jamaica’s science, technology, and innovation ecosystem.

“They are intended, not only to recognise excellence but to also encourage more Jamaicans to use science, technology, creativity, and entrepreneurship to solve national problems and generate economic and social value,” she said.

“The Awards have two components… the first is the Prime Minister’s National Medal for Science and Technology and Innovation, [which] represents one of the highest forms of national recognition in this field,” Dr. Gardner explained.

The second component is the National Innovation Awards, which recognise outstanding innovations across nine categories.

These include Food Systems, Agriculture and Bioproduction; Energy, Climate Resilience and Environmental Solutions; Manufacturing, Engineering and Industrial Solutions; Digital Transformation and Information and Communications Technology; Health, Wellness and Social Innovation; Creative Industries, Tourism and Cultural Innovation; and Education, Skills and Human Capital Development.

There is also a Youth Innovator category that will recognise groundbreaking frontier science innovations with the potential to transform lives in Jamaica.

“The awards provide an opportunity to celebrate scientists, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, institutions and other innovators who are developing solutions with the potential to improve lives, increase productivity and strengthen Jamaica’s competitiveness,” Dr. Gardner noted.

She further pointed out that the programme will send a clear message to Jamaica’s young people that careers in these fields are valuable.

“An important objective of the awards is to help close the gap between innovation and commercialisation. A good idea becomes even more valuable when it can be developed into a viable product, a service or an enterprise. This will create opportunities for employment, investment, exports and economic growth,” the Principal Director stated.

Dr. Gardner said this year’s programme forms part of the ongoing effort to revamp Jamaica’s innovation ecosystem.

“It’s not merely the presentation of awards but it is the start of ensuring that the innovation ecosystem is a place where Jamaica’s premier research and development can take place. The National Medal and Innovation Awards will be the premier platform for identifying, showcasing, and supporting homegrown innovation,” she noted.

“Jamaicans are naturally creative and they’re innovative. However, many promising ideas remain relatively unknown and do not receive the proper recognition that they should get. The awards address this by giving innovators a credible platform through which their work can be recognised and promoted,” Dr. Gardner added.

Applications can be initiated and submitted through the Innovation Awards section of the Office of the Prime Minister’s website at opm.gov.jm.

“We’ve made it very user-friendly, so persons can go… start the application… pause it [and] come back and complete it. We encourage all Jamaicans to apply and to nominate or share the opportunity with persons or individuals or organisations whose work deserves to be highlighted through national recognition,” Dr. Gardner said.

The application deadline is September 5 at 11:59 p.m.

The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in November 2026.

Chair of the Early Childhood Commission (ECC), Trisha Williams-Singh, is urging parents and guardians of young children to ensure that they choose early-childhood institutions (ECIs) that have received permits from the Commission to operate.

An ECI is any place that cares for four or more children under the age of six years, for up to six hours per day.

They include nurseries, centres or homes that offer day care, basic schools, kindergartens, preschools, infant schools and infant departments.

Under the Early Childhood Act and Regulations (2005), all ECIs must be registered with the Commission to receive a permit to operate.

“If the institution does not have a permit to operate, then do not send your child to the institution,” Mrs. Williams-Singh advised parents in an interview with JIS News on Thursday (August 20).

She emphasised that ECIs are encouraged to physically display their permits in areas where they are visible to parents.

“This should be something that is displayed for the comfort of parents, so they [can] see that there is no threat to the health and safety [of their children],” Mrs. Williams-Singh said.

She pointed out that ECIs that receive a permit have been assessed by inspectors from the Commission and have met the minimum criteria for operation stipulated by the Government.

“So, all institutions are to work towards having a certificate of registration, but presently… we give you a permit to operate once there’s no threat to safety and health, and then you work towards attaining the 12 operating standards,” the ECC Chair explained.

The 12 Standards for the operation, management and administration of ECIs in Jamaica encompass staffing; development and educational programmes; physical environment; interactions and relationships with children; indoor and outdoor equipment; health; nutrition; safety; child rights, child protection and equality; interactions with parents and community; administration; and finance.

As at March 2026, the ECC reported that there were 2,428 ECIs in operation across the island.

Mrs. Williams-Singh said that only about four per cent of those institutions are non-compliant with the ECC’s standards, while the remaining 96 per cent are either fully compliant or at various stages of achieving compliance.

The ECC is an agency of the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth & Information, established in 2003, with the aim of improving the quality of early-childhood care, education and development in Jamaica.

It also coordinates the curriculum for early-childhood education, which encompasses birth to eight years old.

Teachers who went above and beyond in the wake of Hurricane Melissa were honoured during an awards ceremony at the Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s (JTA) 62nd Annual Conference, where Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, paid tribute to their dedication and service.

Speaking during the ceremony at Ocean Coral Spring Hotel in Trelawny on Tuesday (August 18), Senator Morris Dixon praised educators, particularly the awardees, for demonstrating that the strength of an education system lies not only in its infrastructure but, more importantly, in its people.

“An award can never fully capture the value of the lives you have influenced. Jamaica sees you, appreciates you and values your contributions,” she stated.

The Minister recounted visits to schools affected by the hurricane in western Jamaica, including Maud McLeod High School in Westmoreland, where Principal, Beverley Feare, personally delivered learning materials to students each week and transformed the school into a hub of community support.

She also highlighted the efforts of Principal of Petersfield Primary School, Dr. Susan Rattray-Hammond, who continued teaching children to read despite the devastation.

The Minister further noted that St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) used its generator to supply water to the wider surrounding community.

“We must not simply restore what existed before. We must use [this opportunity] to build better,” Dr. Dixon said.

She added that Jamaica cannot afford to rebuild schools only to see them damaged or lost again in future disasters.

In the meantime, Dr. Dixon thanked outgoing JTA President, Mark Malabver, for his service and contribution, and congratulated newly installed President, La Sonja Harrison, on her appointment.

She pledged the Ministry’s continued collaboration with the JTA in advancing the welfare and improving the working conditions of the nation’s educators.

“I do look forward to working with you and your team in a spirit of constructive engagement as we continue the important work of strengthening Jamaica’s education sector. Teaching is one of the most consequential professions in our society, and so tonight, it is important that we celebrate,” Minister Morris Dixon added.

For her part, Mrs. Harrison described the awardees as exemplary educators whose contributions in schools, churches, and community and civic organisations have made them the “cornerstones of this nation.”

She emphasised that their contributions extend well beyond the classroom, noting that teachers are consistently found serving in vital roles across the nation’s social institutions, including electoral bodies, community organisations and churches.

Mrs. Harrison reminded teachers that their ultimate reward comes from God and encouraged them to continue serving their colleagues, students and the nation with humility and faith.

“Tonight we recognise your sacrifice, selfless service, and stewardship,” she further stated.

Awards presented during the ceremony included the WBC (Ben) Hawthorne Award, the Edith Dalton-James Award, the Fay E. Saunders Award, the Anglin Jones Award, and a Special Award.

The conference is being held from August 18 to 20 under the theme ‘Reformation Now: Rebuilding a Resilient Education System Buoyed by the Eternal Father and Unrelenting Unionism’.

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information is preparing alternative arrangements, including rotating students on alternate days, for schools that may not be fully repaired by the start of the 2026/27 academic year in September.

This was disclosed by Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry, Senator Marlon Morgan, during a tour of several schools across St. Elizabeth on Monday (August 17) to assess reconstruction work being undertaken in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

Senator Morgan said the Ministry is working to ensure that as many schools as possible are fully restored for the start of the new academic year, while noting that some institutions may still have outstanding repairs when classes resume.

He indicated that where repair works are not fully completed, the Ministry will have to implement practical measures to ensure that teaching and learning continue uninterrupted.

“We have to be responsible people… we have to be practical people and solutions-oriented people, in relation to managing and getting on… even while we have suffered displacement,” Senator Morgan emphasised.

According to Senator Morgan, the Ministry is mindful that ongoing construction while schools are in session can pose challenges, including noise and dust.

As such, he said contractors are being urged to complete the work as quickly as possible while maintaining the required quality standards.

During a visit to Glen Stuart Primary and Infant School, Senator Morgan commended the principal, teachers, infant department caregivers, parents, guardians and students for their steadfast commitment to the education process despite having to operate under challenging conditions since Hurricane Melissa.

Regional Director in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Karlene Segre, has encouraged educators to reflect on their schools’ achievements and use the lessons from those successes to build even stronger institutions.

Speaking at the Region Three Back-To-School Leadership Summit for principals and school board chairs in Coral Spring, Trelawny on August 11, Ms. Segre said the region has much to celebrate, pointing to excellence among teachers and students in areas ranging from innovation and entrepreneurship, to robotics, athletics and agriculture.

Among the highlights was Ferncourt High School’s first-place finish in the Junior Achievement Jamaica business pitch competition, which has earned the students a place in the international America’s Company of the Year competition.

She also pointed to St. Hilda’s Diocesan High School, who represented Jamaica in robotics in the Netherlands, and Westwood High School performance in the Schools’ Challenge Quiz Competition.

Ms. Segre implored educators to continue pushing their students towards excellence.

“Set the standards and work towards them diligently until you achieve your goals, and that’s what we want for each school here in Region Three,” she stated.

Other achievements celebrated included the region’s performance in the North West St. Ann Primary quiz competition, where Bamboo Primary School emerged as the winner; the school garden initiatives, which Linton Park Primary School dominated; and the athletic accomplishments of Shanoya Douglas from Holland High School and Sanjay Singh of William Knibb Memorial.

She also highlighted Duval Ebanks, teacher at the Camperdown Primary School, for being chosen as the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Innovation Teacher of the Year.

Ms. Segre also pointed to the region’s infant etiquette programme, which was launched at all infant schools, as part of efforts to develop well-rounded students, which Portfolio Minister, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, endorsed.

The achievements, Ms. Segre said, demonstrated that the region is making progress despite the challenges of the past year.

“We are celebrating teaching excellence. We are celebrating our school gardens. We are celebrating athletic promise, and we have some global reach,” she said.

She acknowledged, however, that the celebration must be accompanied by reflection and renewed effort in areas where the region needs to close the gaps with national performance.

Ms. Segre stressed that school leaders must use their successes as a foundation to identify areas requiring greater attention and go bolder in pursuing better outcomes for their students.

Representatives from government ministries and agencies met with youth leaders for discussions aimed at informing the youth development agenda under the 2027-2030 Medium-Term Socio-economic Policy Framework.

The meeting, held recently at the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) in Kingston, was the second consultation of the Vision 2030 Jamaica Youth Thematic Working Group.

Focus was placed on reviewing the findings of previous consultations, identifying emerging priorities and contributing to the development of medium-term results, strategies and actions that will guide implementation from financial year 2027/28 to 2029/30.

The engagement reflects the Government’s continued commitment to ensuring that youth development remains a central pillar of Jamaica’s national development agenda through collaborative planning and stakeholder engagement.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Dr. Kasan Troupe, in her remarks, highlighted the importance of the Youth Thematic Working Group in shaping the development agenda.

“As you know, Vision 2030 Jamaica plans and guides the national development programme of our country, and the Youth Thematic Working Group will play a very important part in how we drive that plan forward.

“So, you represent the engine that will drive the youth development agenda. You are the consultative body ensuring that the voices of young people are not just heard but that they actually shape our national priorities, so that we are not going behind the scenes planning for young people without young people. We want to hear the voice of the young people, and that is what you represent,” she said.

Dr. Troupe told the youth leaders present that it is important for them to return to their respective groups and speak to their peers about the discussions.

For his part, Director General, PIOJ, Dr. Wayne Henry, said it is important to hear the voices of the youth, particularly as the country is in the final leg of the journey under the Vision 2030 Jamaica – National Development Plan.

He noted that Vision 2023 Jamaica was not meant to be a plan developed in isolation and then delivered to people.

“From its inception, it was a people-centred concept, one established with and formed by the Jamaican people. The youth have always been recognised as a pivotal stakeholder in shaping national development,”  he said, noting that Jamaica’s youth and children are the generation that will benefit from or bear the brunt of the consequences based on the decisions made.

The consultation meeting was geared towards engaging the perspectives and expertise of stakeholders in translating data and policy into priority strategic development imperatives. This will be primarily for the medium-term, towards advancing the achievement of long-term development goals, outcomes and targets.