The National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) is calling on parents to remain closely connected with their children, particularly those who are transitioning from primary to secondary school this new academic year.

Chief Executive Officer of the NPSC, Kaysia Kerr, stated that transitioning to high school can be both exciting and overwhelming for students.

“It is also at this stage that children need their parents to listen, guide, and stay connected. This change marks a crucial development in a child’s educational journey, presenting new academic expectations, diverse peer groups, and an entirely different social environment,” Ms. Kerr said.

Research has shown that strong parental involvement plays a critical role in enhancing children’s ability to make informed choices and adjust with confidence to the increasing demands of their educational path.

Staying connected with their parents allows children to identify challenges early, while receiving the encouragement and reassurance they need.

To foster this connection, the NPSC is providing support through its Parenting Education Sessions (PES), which are designed to equip parents with effective communication strategies and tools to maintain balance in the home.

The sessions aim to empower parents to engage meaningfully in their children’s learning experiences.

Additionally, schools are being encouraged to adopt the Commission’s Model for Parental Involvement in Education, which allows parents to take an active role beyond merely attending school events or participating in fundraising efforts.

The model fosters a partnership where parents are integral to their children’s educational journey.

It also positions parents as active partners in the education life journey of their child such as engaging with the curriculum to better support their child’s learning at home; participating in projects that enhance both academic participation and school environments; volunteering through the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA); and serving as resource persons to enrich classroom experiences.

“Parents should not only remain engaged at home but also forge strong partnerships with schools. Studies show that when parents establish a positive relationship with educational institutions, students tend to behave better and perform academically at higher levels,” Ms. Kerr explained.

She pointed out that as children enter their teenage years, peer influence becomes significantly stronger, creating an increased need for social acceptance.

Parents are also being urged to validate their children’s feelings, listen actively, and guide conversations constructively, ensuring that discussions become opportunities for building trust and providing valuable direction rather than opportunities for conflict.

For more information contact the NPSC at 876-816-9040 or send an email to [email protected].

Special needs institutions are among the beneficiaries of the Government’s Rural School Bus System, a strategic move aimed at advancing equity and inclusive access across the education sector.

Speaking during Wednesday’s (August 27) Blessing Ceremony for the National Rural School Bus Programme at Jamaica House, Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz, announced that in the first phase, 12 school buses will be assigned to serve special needs institutions.

“Another two [are] to be added in phase two, with more schools for children with special needs to follow. This ensures that no child, regardless of ability or circumstance, is left behind,” he said.

Minister Vaz advised that plans remain on track for the official rollout of the programme’s first phase on Monday, September 8, as schools resume following orientation for the 2025-26 academic year.

He stated that phase one will benefit thousands of students across 258 institutions islandwide, with 55 of the 122 designated routes being launched in all parishes, served by 60 of the initial 110 school buses.

“The remaining 40 buses will be introduced gradually between September and November, with an additional 10 buses held in reserve to guarantee continuity of service,” the Minister added.

Mr. Vaz noted that between 2022 and 2025, a total of 73 children lost their lives in road crashes, including 12 fatalities recorded so far this year

“Each loss represents not just a child’s unfulfilled dreams, but a family’s heartbreak and a community’s grief. These sobering realities remind us that this programme is not optional, it is essential, and it is necessary,” he emphasised.

Describing the initiative as “one of the most transformational… that has taken place in the transport industry”, Minister Vaz affirmed that the system will provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation for students.

“It is about equity, safety and dignity, ensuring children in rural parishes can travel to school without fear. For years, children in urban areas have benefited from a structured school bus system through the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC). Come the September [2025] school term, that commitment extends to rural Jamaica,” he declared.

The shift system in all public schools will be fully eliminated by the start of the 2028/2029 academic year.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, outlined the Government’s timeline, during her address to delegates at the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) 61st Annual Conference, held at the Princess Grand Hotel in Green Island, Hanover, on August 20.

“We have a programme in the Ministry where we’ve identified all the schools that are still on shift, and that is our deadline to get them off,” Dr. Morris Dixon said.

Some 27 schools continue to operate on the shift programme in Jamaica. However, over the next two financial years, six of these schools are expected to be removed from the system as part of ongoing investments in school infrastructure.

“Obviously, some schools need construction. Also, we may need to do additional classrooms. There is a programme that is there [to address all of this], and so the timeline is the 2028/2029 academic year to have all schools moved off of the shift,” the Minister said.

In the meantime, Dr. Morris Dixon said, new classrooms and other infrastructure will be constructed where necessary to meet this deadline.

For the current financial year, the Government has allocated $628 million for school repairs and maintenance, the Minister noted.

The Minister said that among the beneficiaries for this funding are Lucky Valley Primary, which will receive termite treatment; Fort George Primary and Infant, which will have roof repairs completed; and Seaview Gardens Primary, which will benefit from roof waterproofing.

She noted that other projects will include the rehabilitation of Oracabessa Primary and Boundbrook Primary, among several others across the nation.

“Also, I will note that last year, after Hurricane Beryl, one of the things I was very happy to see was that after the hurricane, financing was provided to fix the schools that had been damaged,” Dr. Morris Dixon outlined.

“I was so happy when I saw the supplementary budget where we got over $2 billion to fix that next set of schools that had been damaged by Hurricane Beryl. So, this year, there are 202 schools that are going to be benefiting from the new capital projects that we will be doing,” she added.

Dr. Morris Dixon said that while not every school can be addressed at once, the Ministry is committed to steadily expand the level of support and will continue to advocate for increased funding to meet the needs of institutions islandwide.

The Government is investing $400 million this year to upgrade laboratories in technical high schools, to better prepare students for a future driven by science, technology, and innovation.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, who made the disclosure, said the funds, which are being allocated through HEART/NSTA Trust, will be used to equip at least one laboratory in every technical high school with state-of-the-art facilities.

“If we look at where the world is going, the top jobs are in the technical areas. That’s where the money is to be made and we have to help our children to understand that,” Dr. Morris Dixon said.

She was addressing day three of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) 61st Annual Conference at the Princess Grand Hotel in Green Island, Hanover, on August 20.

Dr. Morris Dixon pointed out that among the facilities being established are robotics labs at Dunoon Park Technical High School, Knockalva Technical High School, Frome Technical High School, and St. Elizabeth Technical High School.

Renewable energy laboratories will be installed at St. Andrew Technical High School, Marcus Garvey Technical High School, and Holmwood Technical High School, she added.

The Minister said that Kingston Technical High School and Vere Technical High School will receive virtual welding laboratories, while St. Thomas Technical High School is being equipped with an electrical engineering lab.

Other institutions include St. Mary Technical High, which will benefit from a robotics and industrial controls lab in the area of mechatronics; Herbert Morrison Technical will receive an optoelectronics lab; and José Martí Technical and Dinthill Technical will get mechanical engineering labs.

“We are not thinking small. It is us saying to our children that you deserve the best. What they have in North America or European schools is what we are working to bring here,” Dr. Morris Dixon underscored.

In the meantime, she noted that the Government’s vision extends beyond technical high schools.

She pointed out that a similar investment is pending to upgrade labs in all regular secondary high schools in the coming years.

This expansion is part of a broader plan to bolster education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Approximately $535 million will be disbursed to Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) beneficiaries ahead of the 2025/26 academic year.

A total of 106,590 students enrolled under PATH will receive the back-to-school grant, which will be added to their regular payments.

Payouts were scheduled to begin on August 19 and continue through September 2. Additional collection days are scheduled for September 4 and 5 to accommodate beneficiaries unable to collect on their assigned dates.

Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security with responsibility for the Social Security Division, Audrey Deer-Williams, told JIS News that this year’s allocation represents an increase over the previous year, when each student received $3,500. She further informed that all grants have been increased by $5,000 or $10,000.

Notably, the tertiary bursary – available to students pursuing bachelor’s degrees at accredited institutions – has been increased by 50 per cent, from $100,000 to $150,000.

Mrs. Deer-Williams explained that the bursary is renewable, provided recipients maintain a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.5.

Students wishing to pursue Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects or certificate/skills training can apply for a one-time grant of $20,000 and $25,000, respectively.

Grants valued $35,000 are available to students registered to sit Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) units, while those pursuing diplomas or associate degree programmes may apply for grants valued $40,000.

Mrs. Deer-Williams told JIS News that the application period for PATH education bursaries and grants is currently open.

She said the application period for the tertiary bursary runs from August to October, while post-secondary grants have two application windows: August to October and January to March.

“Preparing for back to school can be challenging for parents. So this is additional support to the parents who are amongst the poorest in the country, as we work to help to ease the burden,” Mrs. Deer-Williams stated.

Student-teachers at Church Teachers’ College in Manchester and the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) in Portland are to benefit from the installation of smart labs. 

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information and Digicel Foundation, on Friday (Aug. 15), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the facilities under the Smart Lab programme.  

Fully equipped labs have already been set up at three teachers’ colleges – St. Joseph’s and Mico University College in Kingston and Sam Sharpe in St. James, transforming these spaces into modern learning environments.  

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Kasan Troupe, expressed pleasure that the programme, which was first implemented in primary schools in 2022, has been expanded to the teacher training institutions. 

“So, the pre-service preparation is extremely important because it means that the teachers are coming out already exposed to 21st Century devices and equipment and so, they are up to par with the students,” she said, while addressing the signing of the MoU at the Ministry’s Heroes Circle headquarters in Kingston. 

“We cannot be afraid of using the technology… so we must teach our teachers to interact with it and to embrace it and this is what the Digital Foundation is doing today,” Dr. Troupe pointed out. 

She extended gratitude to Digicel Foundation for its continued support to the education sector.

Each smart lab is being constructed at a cost of US$80,000, which covers the renovation and retrofitting of existing  spaces. 

They will be fitted with laptops, tablets, a smart board with Mimio learning software, two-year free Digicel internet access and teacher training software.    

Establishing smart labs in the teacher training colleges is expected to help trainee teachers build confidence and competence in integrating technology into their lessons and allow educators to explore and become familiar with the MimioStudio software.

It will also provide an opportunity to populate the Mimio software with locally relevant content, contextualised to the Jamaican curriculum and culture, while promoting a sustainable model of digital education by embedding the practice of technology integration into teacher preparation, not just classroom delivery. 

Chairman of Digicel Foundation, Joy Clark, pledged to continue working with the Education Ministry to change lives, noting that the entity is dedicated to “making Jamaica the best place for our children.”

She expressed gratitude to the colleges for working with the Foundation, adding that she is looking “forward to the success stories that will come from the schools”.  

Construction will begin on August 19 at Church Teachers’ College. Renovation works are expected to be undertaken over eight weeks, with an additional four weeks to fully retrofit the smart labs with the necessary technology.

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information is reporting improvement in the performance of Jamaican students in the May/June 2025 sitting of Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) English A and Mathematics.  

Portfolio Minister, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, said 85 per cent of students received a passing grade in English A, while 44 per cent passed Mathematics.  

In 2024, 76 per cent and 39 per cent of students passed English A and Mathematics, respectively.  

“The regional average is 80 per cent of students passing English A. We have surpassed the region in English A. The regional average is 39 per cent of students passing Mathematics. We are above the regional average again, in Mathematics,” Dr. Morris Dixon said.  

She was addressing a press conference held on Friday (August 15) at the Ministry’s Heroes’ Circle offices in Kingston, where she presented a report on Jamaica’s performance in CSEC and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE). 

Dr. Morris Dixon shared that at a meeting with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) on August 14,  concerns were raised about performance in Mathematics across the region.  

“It is something, as a region, that we’re going to have to tackle. We in Jamaica have already started it and it is very encouraging to see that we are above the region and we are going to continue on that thrust. We are inching up towards pre-pandemic numbers. In 2019, we would’ve been at 54 per cent and so we are slowly moving back to that in terms of Mathematics,” Dr. Morris Dixon reasoned.  

Meanwhile, performance in English A has exceeded pre-pandemic levels as the 2019 pass rate was 82.8 per cent.  

Some 30,514 students were registered for CSEC, but only 93.9 per cent sat the exams.   

Pass rates for other subjects are Principles of Business – 90 per cent; Theatre Arts – 92 per cent; Visual Arts – 83 per cent; Agricultural Science – 86 per cent; Biology – 84 per cent; Information Technology – 88 per cent; and Food Nutrition and Health – 93 per cent.  

All 56 schools on the National School Learning and Intervention Plan (NSLIP) recorded improved performance in Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) English, while 47 improved in Mathematics. 

This was noted by Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, during a press conference held on August 15 at the Ministry’s Heroes Circle offices in Kingston, where she presented a report on Jamaica’s performance in the CSEC and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) tests.  

“It says, Jamaica, that we can reach our children and we can get them to greatness,” she said.  

The NSLIP initiative includes additional teaching time during holidays, extra lessons, homework programmes, psychosocial and parental engagement, strict attendance monitoring, provision of digital learning resources, a robust accountability framework, and a focus on customised learning, based on assessment data. 

Some of the year-on-year pass rates for English are as follows:  

Charlie Smith High School – 13.1 per cent to 75 per cent; Bustamante High School – 12.1 per cent to 51.9 per cent; Fair Prospect High School – 9.5 per cent to 73.7 per cent;  

Greater Portmore High School – 21.3 per cent to 78 per cent; Merlene Ottey High School – 19.2 per cent to 85 per cent; and Glengoffe High School – 16.7 per cent to 82.8 per cent  

Dr. Morris Dixon highlighted a few of the 47 schools that saw improvements in Mathematics: Edwin Allen High School – 25.4 per cent to 74.1 per cent; St. James High School – 26.5 per cent to 40.5 per cent; Cross Keys High School – seven per cent to 40 per cent; Iona High – 29.2 per cent to 41.9 per cent; Marcus Garvey Technical High School – 11.5 per cent to 31.5 per cent; and Kemps Hill High School – 22.8 per cent to 29.4 per cent.  

“We still have more work to do but you can see that our schools are making the effort. Our teachers are working hard. Our principals are working hard. They’re working with us. We can’t, at the Ministry, just say, oh we’re going to do these interventions and they just happen. The school has to be receptive. The school has to do a lot of work to create the environment for the interventions to work, and they did,” Dr. Morris Dixon said.

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information (MoESYI) wishes to announce further adjustments to the start of the 2025/2026 academic year.

Following extensive consultations with key education stakeholders, including the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), Jamaica Independent Schools’ Association (JISA), Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools (JAPSS), the National Parent Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ), and the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ), it was agreed that the school year should begin as planned in order to avoid any extension of the school year.

Under the revised schedule:

•Monday, September 1, 2025 – Schools reopen as scheduled for orientation and other administrative activities. Students who do not require orientation will not be asked to attend school on Monday, September 1.

•Tuesday, September 2, 2025 and Wednesday, September 3, 2025 – All schools closed.

•September 4-5, 2025 – Schools resume orientation and other administrative activities using modalities determined by school leaders, as guided by local circumstances.

•Monday, September 8, 2025 – Full resumption of all schools.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. The Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, said, “We recognise the importance of preserving the integrity of the school calendar and our children’s education. This decision reflects the strong consensus among education stakeholders that the school year should not be extended, while still accommodating the democratic process.”

Minister Morris Dixon further commented: “Education is the foundation of our nation’s future, and we all know that every day in the classroom matters. By starting the academic year on schedule, we ensure our students have the full benefit of the school year, while balancing the need for schools to support key national activities such as the General Elections. This unique arrangement allows us to protect valuable instructional time, maintain stability for parents and students, provide flexibility to our school leaders to act and honour our commitment to delivering quality education without compromise.”

The National Parent Teacher Association welcomes the adjustments. “Parents across Jamaica welcome this decision. We understand the importance of our children returning to school on time, and we appreciate the Ministry’s efforts to safeguard the academic calendar. This approach strikes the right balance between supporting our country’s democratic processes and prioritising our children’s education. I encourage parents to closely follow their schools during the election week to ensure a smooth transition and to make the most of every opportunity.” — Mr. Stewart Jacobs, President of the National Parent Teachers’ Association

President of the Jamaica Independent Schools’ Association, Mrs Tamar McKenzie, also supports the decision. Mrs McKenzie said, “Independent schools are fully aligned with the Ministry’s decision to keep the start of the academic year on schedule. Our priority is to ensure continuity in teaching and learning, and this arrangement allows us to do so without having to adjust the end-of-year timelines. We believe this is a sensible, well-balanced approach that minimises disruption for students, teachers, and parents, while allowing schools to fulfil their civic role in the General Elections.”

School administrators have been urged to manage the transition smoothly and to communicate any challenges to their respective Regional Office.

Minister Morris Dixon further added, “I want to take this opportunity to encourage all principals and school leaders to remain vigilant during this period and to make decisions that are in the best interest of your students, staff, and the wider school community. You are empowered to assess your local circumstances and to determine the safest and most effective teaching and learning arrangements for your schools. Your leadership is critical to ensuring that the start of the academic year remains smooth, productive, and focused on student success.”

The Ministry of Education is committed to working closely with schools, parents, and all education stakeholders to ensure a seamless start to the academic year.

In response to the growing mental health challenges faced by students across Jamaica, particularly those from trauma-affected communities, the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information is ramping up efforts to provide targeted psychological support in schools.

Portfolio Minister, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, told JIS News that the Ministry has entered into contracts with a number of psychologists and psychiatrists to provide direct mental health services to students in need.

“If there are children in the school that need support, you can refer them and the Ministry will pay for that support,” she said.

Dr. Morris Dixon reasoned that trauma and violence continues to impact students’ ability to learn.

“Sometimes we say, ‘Oh, look at that school, look at their performance.’ Did you ever stop to think that that school has children who have been traumatized from they were born, and their brains have been rewired in a particular way? They’re coming to school not really ready for learning and you have to undo that,” she explained.

She underscored that traditional guidance counselling is not sufficient to meet these complex needs.

To this end, she advised that the Ministry has begun piloting cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) interventions in select schools.

CBT is a more intensive therapeutic approach which is known to help children process trauma and develop healthier coping mechanisms.

The Minister stressed that this approach would follow a measured, data-driven model “you start small, you test it, see if it’s working and then you put more money towards it and expand.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Morris Dixon said the Ministry is exploring how to increase the number of guidance counsellors in schools.

“But also looking at other social workers in the system who could also provide more support to schools and to the families at the same time,” she said.