Nine in Ten 2026 PEP Students Placed in Preferred Secondary Schools

Roughly nine out of every ten students who sat the 2026 Primary Exit Profile examination have been assigned to a secondary school they chose, the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information announced at a Monday press briefing. Portfolio Minister Dr. Dana Morris Dixon said 9.5 per cent were placed on proximity grounds and 0.5 per cent received manual assignments. About 24 per cent gained their first-choice school, 18 per cent their second, and 16 per cent their third, while performance improved across primary and preparatory institutions despite disruption linked to Hurricane Melissa.

Seventy-six candidates were excluded from placement, mainly pupils with special needs, students who asked not to be placed, and private-school entrants whose parents sought results only to compare performance with the wider cohort. Dr. Morris Dixon said gains were recorded in every PEP subject area, including new grade-six literacy and numeracy assessments. Literacy results show 79 per cent at comprehension mastery, 17 per cent near mastery, and four per cent below target, with progress from grade four to grade six. Numeracy mastery rose from 69.9 per cent in grade four to 75 per cent in grade six, with 18 per cent near mastery and seven per cent below target.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness formalized a public-sector accountability framework on Friday through a memorandum of understanding with regional health authorities, professional councils, and related bodies. Regional authorities must bring financial statements and reports for parliamentary tabling fully up to date within 12 months, with boards and regional directors held directly responsible. Except for the National Health Fund, boards must approve certified procurement plans, and no financial commitment will proceed outside an approved plan. Officials plan public progress updates over the next 12 to 18 months.

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company is offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the arrest and charge of a person of interest in a May 30 arson attack on a compressed natural gas bus at the Spanish Town Leiby in St. Catherine. Franchise protection manager Mark Dillon said the man boarded in downtown Kingston, paid cash, rode to Spanish Town, and remained on the vehicle after passengers left before surveillance footage captured him igniting an object. Managing Director Owen Ellington warned that fire in a crowded terminal involving CNG equipment could have had catastrophic consequences. Investigators are examining possible links to a similar 2024 incident at the Half Way Tree Transport Centre. No passengers were aboard in either case. The Commissioner of Police has assigned a dedicated task force; tips may be sent to Crime Stop at 311.

Jamaica has renewed its call for reparatory justice following last week’s three-day “Next Steps” conference in Accra, Ghana, which drew leaders and experts from more than 80 countries. Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange, representing Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness, said: “We hail the bold and visionary leadership that together with the support of 123 countries carried this landmark resolution into the hallowed halls of the United Nations naming and condemning the gravest crimes against humanity. The transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement.” Talks also covered the return of cultural artifacts and legal routes to advance reparations. Minister Grange was joined by Ambassador Lincoln Downer and representatives from her ministry, the National Reparations Committee, and the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission.

Director of Sales, Service and Channel Delivery at Scotia Jamaica Life Insurance Company, Kerry-Ann Chong, told a JIS Think Tank that only about 11 to 12 per cent of private-sector workers belong to private pension plans and fewer than 20 per cent of the labour force contributes to any pension scheme. She said many Jamaicans, including self-employed and informal workers, still depend on the National Insurance Scheme and personal savings. “When we look at this alongside longer life expectancy, where many people may spend 20 years or more in retirement, it becomes clear that planning ahead is increasingly important for long-term financial stability,” she said. Chong urged wider use of approved retirement savings products, including the Scotia Bridge scheme.