FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2026
JTA Voices Grave Concern Over Hazardous Conditions in Hurricane-Affected Schools Eight Months After Hurricane Melissa
The Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) is expressing grave concern over the deplorable and hazardous conditions under which students and teachers in sections of western Jamaica continue to teach and learn, fully eight months after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
Last week, a team from the JTA, accompanied by colleagues from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), visited schools across the parishes of Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth and St. James. What was observed was deeply troubling. Students and teachers remain confined to cramped tents that are unbearably hot, poorly ventilated and wholly unfit for meaningful teaching and learning. In a few spaces, mold was observed, posing a potential threat to the health, wellbeing and safety of students and staff. Quite frankly, some of the conditions witnessed were appalling and represented an egregious failure to provide safe and suitable learning and working environments for students and teachers. Such conditions are entirely inconsistent with what should be considered acceptable standards for teaching and learning.
The JTA readily acknowledges that Hurricane Melissa was a catastrophic Category Five weather event that left a significant trail of destruction across sections of the island. We recognize the enormity of the recovery effort and appreciate the challenges associated with restoring damaged infrastructure. However, eight months after the passage of the hurricane, these challenges can no longer serve as a justification for students and teachers being subjected to conditions that are unsafe, undignified and inimical to effective teaching and learning. The passage of time demands a far greater sense of urgency and responsiveness from the relevant authorities.
The JTA is equally alarmed by the painfully slow pace of repairs. In many instances, construction activities appear to be progressing at a rate that gives little confidence that these school plants will be ready for the commencement of the new academic year. This concern is further compounded by the fact that Jamaica is now in another hurricane season, yet critical repairs remain incomplete, raising serious questions about the resilience of the education system and its ability to withstand another significant weather event.
Consequently, the JTA has written to the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information for a second time, once again highlighting these serious concerns and demanding that urgent and decisive measures be implemented to alleviate the unacceptable learning and working conditions currently being endured by students, teachers and school leaders. The Association maintains that no child should be expected to learn, nor any teacher expected to work, in conditions that compromise health, dignity, safety and educational outcomes. Eight months after the passage of Hurricane Melissa, it is unacceptable that members of the school community continue to bear the burden of delayed recovery efforts. Time to act Education Ministry!!!
Contact:
Leaon Nash,JP
Administrative Officer,
Communication & PR
JTA
97B Church Street, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies
Tel. : (876) 922-1385-7, Cell – 876 – 874 - 8162
Email: [email protected] or