In the aftermath of the devastating Category Five Hurricane Melissa, which caused significant destruction in western Jamaica, Education Minister Dana Morris Dixon has announced comprehensive measures to address the anticipated learning loss among students. Speaking to Observer Online following a special media briefing on Monday, Minister Dixon revealed that the Ministry of Education is actively considering extending educational support beyond the standard school term. This includes organizing holiday camps and potentially extending programs into the summer to help students regain their academic footing.
Despite public concerns over the swift reopening of 136 schools less than a week after the hurricane, Minister Dixon emphasized that the process was carefully managed, prioritizing the well-being of students and staff. Many schools reopened primarily for staff to attend counseling sessions and discuss their experiences post-hurricane. For schools that welcomed students, the focus was on providing psychosocial support.
To assist affected students, the ministry is assembling kits in collaboration with guidance counselors and schools for distribution. Additionally, the ministry is exploring various solutions to rebuild and maintain learning in areas where schools were destroyed. Options under consideration include setting up temporary tents, relocating students to other schools, and providing learning materials for home use on specific days.
Minister Dixon also highlighted the ministry’s partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to develop effective recovery strategies. Drawing on UNICEF’s global experience in disaster recovery and education system rehabilitation, the collaboration aims to ensure the welfare of children and their access to essential education.
‘We’re going to figure it out. We’re going to have to be flexible because the key thing is the welfare of our children and getting our children to get the education that they desperately need so that they can take off in this world,’ Minister Dixon concluded.