Nine in ten 2026 PEP students placed in schools of choice as literacy and numeracy rise

Nine out of ten students who sat the 2026 Primary Exit Profile examination have been placed in a school of their choice, Education Minister Senator Dr the Honourable Dana Morris Dixon said at a press briefing at Jamaica House on Monday.

Dr Morris Dixon said 9.5 per cent were placed by proximity and 0.5 per cent were manually placed. She said the ministry’s aim is to raise standards across all high schools so students feel they can succeed wherever they are assigned.

Grade six pupils exceeded national performance targets in three of four assessed areas. Literacy reached 79 per cent mastery, numeracy 75 per cent mastery and language arts 72 per cent proficiency. Mathematics recorded 69 per cent proficiency, one point below the national target.

The minister noted that Hurricane Melissa severely disrupted learning in seven parishes, affecting 440 schools and 12,860 students—roughly one third of those who sat PEP. She said 2026 marked the first time literacy and numeracy were assessed at grade six, giving the ministry a new baseline. Among the top ten performers nationally, seven are male.

Meanwhile, the Universal Service Fund has restored all 30 community Wi-Fi sites in St. James at a cost of more than $60 million following damage from Hurricane Melissa in October 2025. Chief Executive Officer Charlton McFarland said the rebuild combines fibre and satellite links with solar power, allowing service to switch if one system fails. The work formed part of the USF Connect the West road tour; the next stop is scheduled for Lucea, Hanover in two weeks.

In St. Thomas, the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities opened an islandwide town hall series on Tuesday at Colonel’s Cove, running from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Executive Director Dr Christine Hendrix said the outreach aims to connect residents with registration, benefits, discrimination complaints and partner services, including birth certificate support with the National Registration Agency. Persons can also register through the I Am Able My JCPD app on Android devices.

Ahead of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, National Council on Drug Abuse Executive Director Petre Spencer Smith urged communities to join prevention walkthroughs and highlighted persisting concerns around alcohol, tobacco and ganja, as well as newer risks such as vaping, cannabis edibles and alcohol mixed with energy drinks.