Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Marlon Morgan, says the Government is strengthening its investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, while expanding support for students with special educational needs.

Senator Morgan informed that the Ministry is constructing new STEM academies and increasing the number of professionals available to support students with learning challenges.

Addressing the Ministry’s Region One Back to School Conference at the Grand Palladium Resort in Hanover on July 21, he said the Ministry recently signed a contract for the first of six STEM academies.

He also disclosed that improvements are being made to science laboratories across the island.

“We are seeking to better outfit our science laboratories because the truth is, if we at the national level are placing emphasis on STEM education… we have to have all the things and enabling facilities that will provide our students with practical and enriching experiences,” Senator Morgan explained.

He also highlighted measures to strengthen support for students with special educational needs.

“As a ministry, we are building capacity…[to] better serve our special needs population… we have more diagnostic centres that are coming on stream… we want to have a diagnostic facility in each region,” he said.

Senator Morgan further noted that scholarships are being provided to increase the number of clinicians, therapists and other specialists serving the education system.

The Region One Back-to-School Conference was held under the theme ‘Shaping the Future of Education through Resilience and Innovation’.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, is reporting progress in the rehabilitation of several schools that were significantly impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

The positive outlook follows a tour of institutions in Westmoreland where work is under way to repair and rebuild classrooms.

She noted that while some projects are moving more quickly than others, she is encouraged by the progress.

“I went to Unity Primary School, Petersfield Primary and Infant, and Coke’s View Primary and Infant. I saw some encouraging work being done,” Dr. Morris Dixon said during Wednesday’s (July 29) post-Cabinet press conference at Jamaica House.

She noted that the Unity Primary School project is $990 million.

“That school is completely being rebuilt and they’re adding new classrooms. Everything will not be ready for September, but we’re putting in place as much as possible,” she stated.

At Petersfield Primary and Infant, $302 million is being spent to undertake the necessary repairs and erect new classrooms. The institution lost an entire classroom block during the hurricane.

“I was there in May and the school was in a really bad shape. I was able to see significant progress from May. In another two weeks, they will have the roof up; most of the existing structure… will be ready,” Senator Morris Dixon said.

Turning to Coke’s View Primary and Infant, where $700 million has been budgeted for repairs, Senator Morris Dixon said that the Ministry will be intervening to speed up the pace of works.

“That one isn’t moving as quickly as the others, and there’s a lot more work to be done,” she pointed out.

Senator Morris Dixon said that the Ministry will continue to monitor the work being done and will soon publish a list of schools being repaired, the work that is being undertaken at those schools, the value of the contracts, who the contractor is, and the level of progress being made on each project.

“We have to be transparent in terms of what’s happening in our schools, and we will be transparent throughout the process… and as I said, because so many of the schools need complete rebuild, they’re not all going to be finished for September. Work will be continuing throughout the period,” she stated.

The Education Minister noted that most of the principals at impacted schools already have contingency plans that will be implemented until the repairs are complete.

“They’re happy because they know they’re going to get a better school at the end of it. It may mean additional time but they’re going to get a better facility, and that’s really what matters,” she said.

A total of 101 students from Clarendon and Manchester have benefited from educational assistance valued at approximately $23 million from Jamalco.

The beneficiaries, from all levels of the education system, are from communities

surrounding the Jamalco mining operations in the two parishes.

The assistance forms part of the company’s long-standing commitment to investing in education and supporting the development of young people within its operating communities.

Another 350 students will receive back-to-school vouchers from Jamalco in August.

Speaking at Jamalco’s annual Education Assistance Awards Ceremony on Wednesday (July 29) at the Wembley Centre of Excellence in Clarendon, State Minister for Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Hon. Rhoda Moy Crawford, commended the company for its support to education.

“As we gather here, we’re doing more than just gifting awards. We are celebrating one of the most vital investments a nation can make – the investment in the education of our people. At the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, we often speak about the necessity of partnership, but Jamalco does not speak about it; Jamalco lives it,” she said.

Manager, Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Jamalco, Donna Marie Brooks, noted that the annual Education Assistance Awards Ceremony is more than a routine presentation of scholarships and grants.

“It is a celebration of promise, perseverance and possibility. It stands as a powerful reminder about what happens when a corporate entity chooses to invest, not only in production and operations but in people, families and [the] long-term future of our nation,” she said.

“This is my 16th scholarship awards ceremony and each time I look at the faces… I feel so happy that Jamalco can do what it is doing. I feel a profound sense of pride in the tangible difference that Jamalco is creating across our operating communities and in the wider Clarendon and Manchester areas,” she added.

Zurie Cousins and Neeraj Sahukar of Creative Kids Learning Academy in Kingston have emerged as the top girl and boy, respectively, for the 2026 sitting of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP).

The outstanding pair will begin the next chapter of their academic journey at Campion College this September.

Both students have been awarded the Guardian Group Foundation Scholarship, which will support them throughout their five-year tenure at high school.

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information has announced that 32 Government scholarships have been awarded to top-performing students across Jamaica.

The recipients of named Government scholarships are Shomari Harrison of Harbour View Primary, who was awarded the Marcus Garvey Scholarship; Jasonnia Beadle of Park Mountain Primary and Infant and Nathaniel Brooks of Southborough Primary, who received the JAG Smith Scholarship and the George William Gordon Scholarship, respectively; and Nathanael Stewart of White Horses Primary and Infant School, who earned the Paul Bogle Scholarship.

Government of Jamaica scholarships were also granted to 14 boys and 14 girls.

The boys awarded include Jacob Salazar, Yori Vanriel, Darien Hudlin, Kyle Stewart, Dejaun Williams, Jayden Choi, Kristian Campbell, Rafi Duncan, Rhys James, James Whittingham, Jaxon James, Najhaun Morris, Orlando Zinck, and Gabriel Clark.

The girls are Xia Nunes, Christina Magnus, Ariana-Marie Daniels, Sujanne Smith, Akeela Waisome, Anniya McDonald, Ashli-Rai Goodall, Briona Hall, Avery Blagrove, Katalia Smikle, Nia Peddie, Suri Edwards, Skyler Lafayette and Jahneal Kennedy.

Twelve of the 14 boys earned placements at Campion College, while one will be attending Wolmer’s Boys School and another will matriculate to Herbert Morrison Technical High School.

Eight of the girls were placed at Campion College, two at Immaculate Conception High, two at Glenmuir High, and one each at Manchester High and deCarteret College.

Other outstanding PEP students have also been awarded scholarships by several organisations, including the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, Massy Gas Products Limited, Petrojam, Seprod, Jamaica Energy Partners, LASCO, Musson and Alva B. Johnson.

School administrators are being reminded to use only the approved standardised student medical report form for all new registrations and support measures aimed at safeguarding the health and well-being of children.

The directive comes from the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information (MOESYI) in its latest bulletin, which says the standardised form, developed jointly with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) in 2020, remains the only approved document for the medical assessment of students entering schools.

The Ministry noted that some institutions have altered the clinical requirements of the form, a practice that is not permitted, and is urging schools to refrain from altering, removing or adding any clinical requirements.

While institutions may add their official logo or insignia to the document, the Ministry emphasised that its content and prescribed medical requirements must remain unchanged.

According to the Ministry, consistent use of the approved document is essential for maintaining reliable student health records and supporting national health surveillance and student welfare initiatives.

Additionally, school administrators are being called on to strengthen efforts to protect Jamaica’s immunisation programme by ensuring that students’ vaccination records are current.

The Ministry pointed out that Jamaica’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) has successfully eliminated diseases such as polio, measles and rubella locally. However, it warns that the country’s progress remains vulnerable because of the growing threat of imported vaccine-preventable diseases and gaps in vaccination coverage.

Schools are, therefore, encouraged to achieve and maintain at least 95 per cent vaccination coverage to support herd immunity.

Administrators are also being asked to verify that students’ immunisation records are up to date in keeping with the National Schedule, encourage parents and guardians to have children receive all recommended vaccines, and work closely with Parish Health Departments to facilitate school-based vaccination activities and other public health interventions.

The Ministry is also reminding school administrators to continue enforcing all applicable health clearance requirements for student entry and attendance in accordance with standardised guidelines and public health regulations.

Some 88 young Jamaicans are set to benefit from a new industry-led apprenticeship initiative aimed at strengthening the country’s hospitality workforce and creating a direct pathway from training to employment.

The Hospitality Apprenticeship Programme (HAP), a partnership between the HEART/NSTA Trust and Sandals Corporate University (SCU), was officially launched during a ceremony at the Cardiff Hotel and Spa in St. Ann, on July 13, under the theme ‘Bridging Training and Industry Excellence’.

The inaugural cohort, drawn from St. Ann, St. Mary and Westmoreland, will receive structured training in food and beverage restaurant service management, housekeeping operations, culinary arts and hotel property maintenance before being placed at Sandals resorts in St. Ann and Westmoreland for hands-on industry experience.

Managing Director of the HEART/NSTA Trust, Dr. Taniesha Ingleton, said the initiative reflects the organisation’s commitment to equipping young Jamaicans with the practical skills and workplace experience needed to meet the demands of one of the country’s most important economic sectors.

“This programme has been designed to provide young Jamaicans, including NEET individuals (not in education, employment or training) and recent graduates of the Sixth Form Pathways Programme, with structured work-based training in hospitality apprenticeship,” she said.

Dr. Ingleton noted that tourism continues to play a critical role in Jamaica’s economy, pointing out that the country welcomed a record 4.15 million visitors in 2024, generating approximately US$4.3 billion in earnings.

“The world continues to choose Jamaica, but when visitors choose Jamaica they’re not only choosing our beaches, our food, our music or our landscape. They are choosing our people,” she said.

The Managing Director emphasised that apprenticeship provides a practical solution to youth unemployment by moving participants “from potential to productivity, from interest to competence and from training to real employment”.

For her part , Deputy Managing Director of the HEART/NSTA Trust, Dr. Cheryl McLaughlin, said months of planning and collaboration between the two organisations laid the foundation for the programme’s successful launch.

She underscored that participants were recruited following an extensive selection process and have already completed orientation sessions covering workplace health and safety, sexual harassment prevention, financial management, and the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees.

Dr. McLaughlin said the apprentices will first undergo intensive employability skills training, including Team Jamaica Member certification, CPR and First Aid, and Hotel Guest Practitioner instruction before transitioning to occupational skills training, leading to nationally recognised National Vocational Qualification of Jamaica (NVQ-J) certification.

“This programme represents much more than training, it represents opportunity. It demonstrates what can happen when industry and training institutions work together with a common purpose, and that is to build a pipeline of skilled talent that can contribute immediately to service excellence while at the same time creating meaningful livelihoods for our people,” she said.

Senior Corporate Director at Sandals Corporate University, Dr. Luz Longsworth, described the initiative as a landmark partnership that will help prepare a new generation of hospitality professionals capable of competing globally.

“Today is not just launching another training initiative. Today is about opportunity. Today is about partnership. Today is about transforming your potential into achievement and today is about ensuring that Jamaica continues to produce world-class hospitality professionals who can compete anywhere in the world,” she said.

The Hospitality Apprenticeship Programme forms part of ongoing efforts by the HEART/NSTA Trust and Sandals Corporate University to strengthen workforce development by aligning training with the evolving needs of Jamaica’s tourism industry.

Acting Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth & Information, Terry-Ann Thomas Gayle (right), shares a photo opportunity with (back row from left) Jodi Ann Mullings, Vice Principal, St. Mary’s College, Annmarie James; Akeem Mitchell; Christine Howell; Chief Executive Officer ,e-Learning Jamaica, Andrew Lee; Oral Gayle; Community Relations Education Officer, Kereen Reid; Monique Davis-Porter; and Principal, St Mary’s College, Ryan Williams. Seated is student, St Mary’s College, Nathaniel Perkins.  The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth & Information introduced the IXL Interactive Online Learning Platform as a targeted intervention to support 1,625 grade seven students experiencing challenges in English Language and Mathematics across 56 National School Learning and Intervention Plan (NSLIP) secondary schools. Funded through the Jamaica Education Project (JEP) and supported by e-Learning Jamaica Limited through the provision of tablets, the initiative seeks to improve student outcomes through technology-enabled learning. St Mary’s College has emerged as a leading school in the use of the platform recording more than 10,500 questions answered and over 200 skills mastered.

The importance of school gardens in strengthening food security, healthy living and environmental sustainability was underscored during the recently held National School Garden Grand Exhibition 2026.

Held at the José Martí Technical High School in St. Catherine, under the theme ‘From the Farm to the Table’, the exhibition showcased vibrant displays from participating institutions across Jamaica, highlighting the contribution of school gardens to nutrition and agricultural education, and recognition of outstanding projects.

Scores of schools received top awards, while several regions were recognised for their commitment to promoting agriculture and food production among students.

Regional Director in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Sophia Forbes-Hall, said the theme served as a powerful reminder of the need to promote food security, healthy nutrition, environmental sustainability and self-reliance among young people.

She noted that the project has grown beyond gardening by contributing to school feeding programmes, encouraging healthy eating habits, strengthening environmental awareness, promoting entrepreneurship and supporting Jamaica’s national food security and sustainable development goals.

The Regional Director commended principals, teachers, education officers, judges, sponsors and community partners for their commitment to the initiative while paying special tribute to the students, whose enthusiasm and creativity continue to drive the programme’s success.

Presenting the Chief Judge’s Report, Assistant Chief Education Officer, Dr. Olivine Evans, said this year’s exhibition recognised 67 schools that have successfully sustained their gardens.

She said that the project was expanded to include infant schools, primary schools, special education institutions and learning centres, making the competition more inclusive.

She noted that judging extended beyond the exhibition itself, with more than 70 judges from the Ministry, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Heart Foundation of Jamaica and other partners conducting on-site assessments at participating schools.

She said the judges assessed school gardens based on community involvement, garden quality, environmental management, biodiversity and curriculum integration. Displays at the exhibition were evaluated for visual appeal, originality, relevance to the theme and overall impact, while participating schools were also required to prepare creative dishes using produce from their gardens.

These culinary entries were judged on the use of garden produce, creativity, nutritional value, culinary quality and sustainability.

Dr. Evans highlighted several strengths observed during the adjudication process, including the high level of student interest, strong community involvement, well-maintained gardens, adherence to safety standards and the effective use of resources provided to schools.

She expressed gratitude to the judges, teachers, parents, students and partner organisations, including the World Food Programme, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Sagicor, Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ), for supporting the initiative.

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information will be investing $15 million to establish a smart greenhouse laboratory at Thompson Town High School in Clarendon during the 2027/28 academic year.

This was announced by Permanent Secretary, Dr. Kasan Troupe, during her address at the institution’s school-leaving ceremony on Tuesday (June 30).

For the upcoming academic year, Dr. Troupe announced that the school will receive a special grant of $6 million, along with a $1.5-million increase in its operational grant and an additional $1 million to support its industrial lab.

The Permanent Secretary also pledged to donate a 60-inch television to the institution from her personal funds.

“I have seen your Principal’s passion, and as the Permanent Secretary, it is my responsibility to support that journey… because the students here, they deserve it. They have made the sacrifice.

They have worked hard, and today we celebrate them in this transitioning exercise.” she affirmed.

Drawing on her own life and accomplishments, Dr. Troupe encouraged the graduates to work diligently in pursuit of success, reminding them that their starting point does not determine their destination.

The Permanent Secretary shared that, as a young student, she did not pass the common entrance high-school placement examination.

“I did not see my name in the paper… . I had that experience. But I am here to testify that it’s not about where you have started; it’s where you are going, and it’s also about what you do with the experience that you have got. You blossom, you bloom where you are planted,” Dr. Troupe said.

She noted that she attended Trench Town Comprehensive High School in Kingston, which, like Thompson Town High, was not regarded as one of the island’s top schools.

“But that didn’t stop my journey of excellence, and ought not to stop the journey for your boys and your girls,” Dr. Troupe told parents.

She noted that after leaving Trench Town High, she went on to attend The Mico University College and later the University of the West Indies, graduating at the top of her class with First Class Honours at each institution.

Today, I am the Permanent Secretary in the largest ministry in the government. This is the highest job in the public service in my country. So for that little girl from a school like Thompson Town… it can be done,” Dr. Troupe affirmed.

She urged the graduates to reject excuses and adopt a mindset of intentional excellence, emphasising that hard work and success are inseparably linked.

“Excellence and hard work are very good friends; you will not see one without the other. So if you want that intentional success, you must embrace hard work,” the Permanent Secretary maintained.

She emphasised that the Government has established mechanisms such as the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB) to support students in achieving academic excellence.

“[The Ministry also] provides scholarships for young people every single year. All they have to do is to go on the website and apply. There are opportunities,” Dr. Troupe added.

She has been teaching for more than 20 years but was thrust into the spotlight recently with the release of this year’s Primary Exit Profile (PEP) results.

Dian Dennis is the teacher of the top primary-school PEP performer, Jasonnia Beadle, from Park Mountain Primary and Infant School in St. Elizabeth.

Mrs. Dennis has been teaching Jasonnia since last September when she entered grade six and is proud of helping to guide her to success.

She describes the top performer as quiet and reserved, who has to be called on to participate or respond in class but who is always correct when she does.

“She’s always on point; even if she doesn’t answer, everything is on point but if she gets it wrong, she always comes to ask, what was wrong with it. She is okay with explanations and her homework assignments are on point and perfect. She has never been late with her homework,” a proud Mrs. Dennis said.

The teacher spoke with JIS News when Education Skills, Youth and Information Minister, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, visited the institution on June 25, to offer personal congratulations to the celebrated student.

The more than 400 students enrolled at the school were still on a high at the achievement.

Mrs. Dennis said that Jasonnia has an almost perfect attendance record but in the event that she is absent, she will call to request work that she has missed. She takes responsibility for her school work and is always reading or studying with other students. She is also consistent in her work.

“She has been performing at the top level from grade four and makes time for the Brownies club, is an avid reader and plays online games. She is not much of a playing child but she reads a lot. Because she is so focused, I expect her to keep on excelling,” Mrs. Dennis said.

The veteran teacher told JIS News that her star pupil is “intrinsically driven”.

“We have motivational sessions every morning and they repeat their affirmations. Jasonna is motivated and you won’t come into class to find her chatting or playing,” she pointed out.
Jasonnia will join her cousins at Hampton School for Girls come September, and Mrs. Dennis is expecting her to continue to excel.

With Josannia’s success, Mrs. Dennis, who has been at Park Mountain since 2009, said the expectation is for even greater accomplishments next year, telling JIS News that she is up to the task.

While noting the challenges, she said she is in the profession for the long haul and has no plans to leave the country or her Jamaican students.

Mrs. Dennis shared that everything she does is in the best interests of her students, noting that she is motivated when they do well.

“It’s not the salary that keeps me; it’s moments like these. It doesn’t matter the set of students I get each year, by the end of the year, I am extremely proud of them,” she told JIS News.