All but three institutions in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information’s Region Four reopened on Monday (January 5) as the new academic term officially got under way.

Region Four, which comprises institutions in the parishes of Hanover, St. James and Westmoreland, was the hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa.

Some students were returning to school for the first time since the passage of the category-five system on October 28.

“Yesterday (January 5) was the start of the second school term and it was a good day for us in the Ministry. We’re very happy to be able to bring back most of our schools in this region,” said portfolio Minister, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon.

She was speaking during a stop at Carmel Primary and Infant School in Westmoreland on Tuesday (January 6).

The Minister commended the regional director, building teams and contractors for the “intense coordination and long hours” in ensuring that the majority of schools were able to reopen their doors to accommodate students.

She informed that the remaining three schools are expected to reopen in another week as repairs near completion.

The Minister noted that at Carmel Primary and Infant School, the principal was able to carry out significant clean-up using an initial building grant, after which the Ministry’s building team mobilised a contractor to undertake major repairs.

She said that the crew worked through the Christmas and New Year holiday period to ensure that the school would be ready to welcome students for the new term.

“For a lot of our other schools, there’s more work that needs to be done, and we’re not going to stop until we have fixed our schools and until all our children are back in school, and that is the commitment of the Ministry,” Dr. Morris Dixon said.

The Minister explained that given the post-hurricane situation, schools will operate using different modalities while maintaining full-day sessions. Grade-six students, who are preparing for exams, will attend classes five full days per week.

Other students may be placed on a shift system or attend school for several days during the week while working from home on others. This will ensure that all children remain engaged even if they are not at school every day.

“We can’t wait for perfection. We have to work with what we have,” Dr. Morris Dixon pointed out.

She noted that the Ministry is focused on rebuilding schools to withstand future storms. New, stricter building standards are being implemented, with guidance from the World Bank.

Dr. Morris Dixon said that while this approach means that some repairs will take longer, the goal is to provide a durable solution rather than a temporary fix.

The Minister and her team also travelled to St. Elizabeth in Region five, stopping at the annual Accompong Town Maroon celebrations where they interacted with students.

They then visited Elderslie Primary and Infant School, which sustained significant damage, particularly to its roof.

Emergency contractors have been working over the holidays and are expected to complete classroom repairs by the end of this week, allowing students to return by Monday, January 12. Further work on the retaining walls will continue into the month.

Principal of Elderslie Primary, Robert Wallace, expressed gratitude for the swift response from the Ministry and contractors.

With a new roof and ceiling already installed, the school is preparing to welcome back its 74 students.

“Right now, we have on record 74 students but some of them migrated to get accommodations in other schools. However, we’re looking forward to their return so that we can continue with a full student body,” Mr. Wallace said.