Education and Youth Minister Fayval Williams is reporting that more than 950 of the island’s public schools reopened for the start of the 2024-2025 academic year on Monday.
The figure represents approximately 96 per cent of schools island-wide, according to Williams.
Speaking at the official de-shifting ceremony for Ocho Rios Primary School in St Ann on Monday, Williams said she is expecting that by next week all students will return to school nationally.
“Ninety-six per cent, (or) 953 schools started full resumption today, the first day of school,” she stated.
“As you know, high schools come in on a staggered basis, so by the end of the week, beginning of next week, all students in high schools will be fully in,” Williams declared.
She said the situation relative to the commencement of classes in primary schools is different.
“But because of Hurricane Beryl, a few of them (primary schools) had to stagger it (their classes) as well.
“So, ladies and gentlemen, what I’m trying to say to you is we pulled out all the stops so that our schools would be ready for today (Monday), the start of the new school year,” Williams stated.
Some 362 public schools were damaged by the passage of the category four hurricane on July 3.
The ministry has focused its attention on working on the severely damaged schools, but, for example, Munroe College in St Elizabeth will be reopened later this month due to extensive ongoing construction work there.
