Lead Stories

04 Sep, 2026 0

NPSC revamps parenting support strategy as survey reveals growing disconnect from children

A newly released national survey has revealed a troubling decline in parent-child relationships in Jamaica, prompting the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) to intensify efforts aimed at…
Dr Christopher Tufton (centre), minister of health and wellness, examines the Global School-Based Student Health Survey report while in discussion with (from left) Ian Stein, PAHO/WHO representative to Jamaica, Bermuda and The Cayman Islands; Paulette Smit
03 Sep, 2026 0

Drunk in class - One in 10 students report going to school inebriated or under influence of drugs, survey finds

Jamaica’s classrooms are facing an unsettling challenge, with one in every 10 high-school students reporting that they have gone to school drunk, while a similar proportion say they have turned up…
Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon (right), minister of education, skills, youth and information, listens keenly to Tracie Campbell, principal of Ferris Primary School, in Westmoreland, as she expresses gratitude over the readiness of the institution ahead of ne
03 Sep, 2026 0

All western schools to reopen Monday, declares Morris Dixon

Western Bureau: Despite claims by several principals that their schools are not ready, Education Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon is insisting that all schools across the ministry’s Region Four –…
A section of the Ferris Primary school compound which houses the Grade 3 classroom and upward, shows apparent readiness following work that was done on the roofs and a fresh paint job.
03 Sep, 2026 0

Ferris Primary reborn

Western Bureau: After months of rehabilitation work in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, Ferris Primary School in Westmoreland is now all but ready to welcome students to its newly transformed…
Jamaica Organization of New Jersey honourees (from left) Dr Janice Johnson Dias; Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, the minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade; Dr Valerie Miller; and Owen Eccles.
03 Sep, 2026 0

Mair vows hands-on approach in New York

Jamaica’s newly installed consul general in New York, Oliver Mair, has vowed to adopt a practical approach to his new assignment, with widespread engagement with Jamaicans across the jurisdiction. “I…
Educator Linvern Wright.
03 Sep, 2026 0

Educator demands workers not be ‘scapegoated’ to maintain stable economy

WESTERN BUREAU: The immediate past president of the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools is taking issue with the Government’s economic policy, arguing that Jamaican workers must not…
Police and firefighters at Balcombe Drive Primary and Junior High School in Olympic Gardens, St Andrew, where the section of a building collapsed, killing a man and injuring another on September 1.
03 Sep, 2026 0

After Balcombe collapse, Crawford warns against repairs at open schools

Chairman of the Balcombe Drive Primary and Junior High School Board Alden Brown is accusing the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information of failing to respond to appeals for assistance in…
Randell Gordon (left), a recent beneficiary of the East Central St James Scholarship and Welfare Fund, receives his presentation certificate from Edmund Bartlett, minister of tourism and member of parliament for St James East Central, during the 30th annua
03 Sep, 2026 0

Pastor turns personal struggles into youth mission

WESTERN BUREAU: For 35-year-old pastor Randell Gordon, the hardships of his childhood and a near-fatal motor vehicle accident have shaped a mission to help young people find purpose and resist the…
Michael Barnett washes a car with water from one of his tanks at his Kingston Gardens Public Car Wash in central Kingston on Tuesday.
02 Sep, 2026 0

WATER CRUNCH - Drought drives up costs for car washes, laundries

The severe drought conditions currently affecting the island have resulted in increased operating costs for water-related businesses in the Corporate Area as they seek alternative sources of supply to…