Education Ministry to Publish Hurricane Melissa School Repair Contracts

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Government is moving to strengthen public oversight of school rehabilitation work being carried out after Hurricane Melissa.

Details of the projects will be published on the websites of the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information and the National Education Trust (NET).

Portfolio Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon announced the measure during a post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House on July 15.

She said the published records will cover all school repair jobs that have been assigned. The information will identify each contract’s value, the contractor selected, the anticipated completion date and relevant comments on the work.

According to Morris Dixon, the online records will be refreshed twice each month, allowing members of the public to follow the progress of individual projects.

While repairs at some schools had been scheduled for completion during the summer, other institutions require extensive structural changes. She said certain projects could take as long as 18 months, depending on the type and severity of the hurricane damage.

The minister also reported that labour shortages and other difficulties are slowing work at some schools. Jamaica has a limited pool of contractors, she said, while contractors have reported challenges securing workers and, at times, obtaining necessary supplies.

Morris Dixon said the ministry continues to engage contractors in an effort to accelerate the rehabilitation programme as much as possible.

Over the coming weeks, ministry representatives will visit project sites to assess conditions directly and work alongside contractors. Those checks are intended to help officials identify problems and intervene where required.

More than 600 educational institutions throughout Jamaica were damaged when Category 5 Hurricane Melissa passed the island.