E-TOC Presses Resilient School Rebuild as Jamaica Tracks Melissa Recovery

Nine months after Hurricane Melissa, many students in western Jamaica are still waiting for classrooms fit for teaching, Education Transformation Oversight Committee (E-TOC) chairman Dr. Adrian Stokes said at a quarterly press conference on Thursday morning.

Stokes said the Ministry of Education has concentrated on the worst-hit sites, known as priority one schools, including Mannings High. He said heavy attention is going into restoring those campuses, with the hope that many will reopen for the September term. Across the island, 214 schools are under active construction and 78 are more than 80 per cent complete. With roughly two months left before the new academic year, he warned that rebuilding will continue for some time because contractor capacity is stretched and recovery resources must be shared.

A lasting priority, he argued, is to rebuild more resilient campuses. "The important thing is to ensure that the schools are rebuilt sustainably. They take into consideration new technology and importantly, that these newly erected structures can withstand future crises like what we experienced with Melissa," Stokes said.

Separately, the People’s National Party again accused the government of shutting key stakeholders out of post-Melissa recovery talks. At a town hall in Black River, St. Elizabeth, on Wednesday evening, minority leader in the St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation Councillor Doniphan Pagan called the omission unacceptable. "From the hurricane has happened, we have not been invited, the local authority, to any of consultation meetings," he said, adding that the municipal planning unit knows Black River’s layout and should have been involved from the start. He also insisted that small businesses, which he described as the backbone of the historic town, must help shape any transformation of Black River.

In other news, the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) has charged a 32-year-old St. Ann man of an Ocho Rios address with grievous sexual assault over the alleged abuse of his 13-year-old daughter. Police say he admitted the offence during questioning on Wednesday. Investigators report the child moved from another parish to live with her father in St. Ann in February after her mother fell ill, and that the alleged abuse happened on several occasions. Police say one incident was recorded on video that later reached law enforcement, leading to his arrest. A court date is being finalised.

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness, speaking at the contract signing for segment two of the Harbour Walk project on Wednesday, said falling crime is yielding economic gains as investors and event organisers take note. He said Jamaica’s murder rate has fallen from 50 per 100,000 to 25 per 100,000 on 2025 figures — "cut in half" — and that the decline is shaping foreign travel advisories, insurance costs and decisions on hosting major meetings and events. Holness set a target of 15 per 100,000 by year-end and said pairing improved security with infrastructure puts the country on a firm path to growth.