2026 PEP results released as nine in ten students secure preferred school placement

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information released the 2026 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) results on Monday, June 22, allowing parents and guardians to view children's scores on the DPIS online portal from 2:00 p.m. A total of 31,806 grade-six students sat the exams on April 29 and 30, made up of 15,964 boys and 15,842 girls.

Education Minister Dr. Dana Morris Dixon told a press briefing that performance continued to improve despite a new literacy and numeracy component. She said 90% of students were placed in one of their seven preferred secondary schools, while about 9.5% were placed by proximity. Seventy-six students were excluded from placement, mainly those with special needs, pupils whose parents requested no placement, and some private-school candidates who sat PEP only to benchmark performance.

Nationally, 75% of students met numeracy expectations and 79% met literacy targets. In mathematics, 69% reached proficient or highly proficient levels, and 72% did so in language arts. The minister said the system is moving in the right direction and pledged continued focus on literacy and numeracy.

The 72nd Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show will run from July 31 to August 2 at the Denbigh Showground in May Pen, Clarendon, under the theme "Growing Forward, Cultivating a Path to a Better Jamaica." Portfolio Minister Floyd Green said recent storms hit agriculture hard, with Hurricane Melissa estimated at $36 billion in damage compared with $7 billion from Hurricane Barrel. The Jamaica Agricultural Society will give farmers 1,000 complimentary tickets and transport from areas hardest hit by Melissa.

Culture Minister Olivia Grange, speaking in Ghana on behalf of Prime Minister Andrew Holness, said Jamaica remains committed to reparatory justice with CARICOM, Ghana, and African nations. Holness has joined a high-level global advisory council on the issue. Grange welcomed a United Nations resolution, backed by 123 countries, recognising the transatlantic slave trade and chattel slavery as crimes against humanity.

Senator Aubyn Hill keynoted the June 3 opening of a US$7 million Great Wall Motor showroom at Stewart's Automotive Group on South Camp Road, a 9,000-square-foot facility named the Diana Stewart Building.

Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre said food security will feature strongly when CARICOM heads meet in St. Lucia, urging coordinated action to raise regional production and cut import dependence amid drought concerns.

Former United States Assistant Secretary of Commerce Frank K. Tarman warned that proposed US tariff increases linked to a forced labour investigation could reach about 12% and hurt emerging Guyanese exports, even as oil and bauxite remain exempt.

At the JAAA Puma National Senior and Junior Championships, Demisha Roswell won the women's 100m hurdles in a personal best 12.40 seconds, Demario Prince took the men's 110m hurdles in 13.13 seconds, Alana Reid won the women's 200m in 22.25, and Christopher Taylor claimed the men's 200m in 20.09 seconds. Stacey-Ann Williams and Antonio Watson won their first national 400m titles, and Shanieka Ricketts closed the meet with a personal best 54.56 in the women's 400m hurdles.