Ministry lifts public school funding 55% with $755 million package

Education Minister Dr. Dana Morris Dixon has announced that Jamaica's public schools will receive about 55% more funding from the Ministry of Education this year, supported by an additional $755 million for repairs, learning support and student welfare. She made the disclosure at Wednesday's post-cabinet press briefing.

Primary schools and special-needs institutions are to be prioritised under the new allocation. The first tranche has already been paid out, with the remaining two instalments due in September and December.

Dr. Morris Dixon said the ministry had to reshuffle its own budget to make the increase possible. "We have increased the funding to all public schools this year. And that's a very, very big deal for us," she said. "It meant moving our own budget to prioritize this area. And this should be noted for all of Jamaica. On average, every public school is getting 55% more funding from the Ministry of Education."

Schools retain flexibility in how they use the money, she said, but the ministry has indicated recommended shares: 25% for administration, repair and maintenance; 20% for teaching and learning materials; 30% for STEM and technical and vocational education and training (TVET); 15% under a further share outlined in the briefing; and 10% for student welfare.

She pointed to a small school that previously received about $800,000 a year and will now get $3 million, stressing that the size of each increase depends on enrolment and other school factors.

The boost comes as parents complain about rising charges at public schools. A July 2 report in The Star cited one case in which fees totalled $67,000 — $43,000 for tuition and $24,000 for summer school.

On fees, Dr. Morris Dixon said government policy is clear: no child should be shut out of school because a family cannot pay. Some schools do levy fees, she said, but they have no right to deny any child access to an education. She expects schools to use the new allocation to help students who cannot afford those costs, and noted that institutions may also seek additional welfare grants from the ministry.

"You can come to the ministry," she said, describing schools that reported most of their students were on PATH and needed more nutrition support. The ministry, she added, works to provide that help and urges principals to contact their regional teams when other pressures arise.