99.7 % of schools open on first day as new academic year starts smoothly

KINGSTON, Jamaica —The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information says the first day of the 2026/27 school year was generally smooth across the island, with only three schools unable to open.

In a statement on Monday, the ministry said approximately 99.7 per cent of schools captured in preliminary data from all seven educational regions, covering roughly 1,000 schools, were able to open on the first day.

The ministry commended principals and educators for the strong start, noting that all schools in Region 4 — which includes Westmoreland, Hanover and St James, parishes affected by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025 — were able to reopen.

“This is a testament to the resilience of our institutions and the strong leadership of our schools,” the ministry said.

“With respect to challenges faced by schools today, late furniture delivery was among the most frequently reported. While schools and regional teams worked to manage the situation and facilitate students where possible, the ministry will be addressing the furniture delivery issue to ensure outstanding items are delivered as quickly as possible and to strengthen arrangements for future delivery exercises.”

The ministry also reiterated that where infrastructural repairs are continuing while schools are in operation, the work must be undertaken in a manner that safeguards students, teachers, administrative staff and other members of the school community.

It reminded contractors and school administrators that work sites must be properly secured and separated from areas being used for teaching and learning. It stressed that no construction or repair activity should be permitted to create an unsafe environment or unnecessarily disrupt school operations.

The ministry said it will continue to monitor schools through its regional teams in the coming days, including the resolution of furn

iture concerns and other operational issues identified during the reopening exercise.