Letter of the Day | Outdoor classes at Holland Primary School are unacceptable in 2026

THE EDITOR, Madam:

It is deeply troubling and, frankly, unacceptable that children at Holland Primary School are being taught outside under a bamboo structure in 2026.

While there is much public discussion about educational transformation, innovation and preparing Jamaica’s children for the future, students at Holland Primary are being denied something far more basic: a safe, secure and suitable classroom in which to learn. No child should have to receive an education under a makeshift structure exposed to heat, rain, wind, insects, noise and other distractions. This is not educational transformation; it is educational neglect.

The Ministry of Education must explain how this situation has been allowed to occur and, more importantly, what immediate steps are being taken to correct it. Children cannot be expected to concentrate, teachers cannot be expected to perform at their best, and parents cannot be expected to remain silent while basic standards are ignored.

The condition at Holland Primary raises serious questions about the ministry’s priorities. How can billions be spent on programmes, announcements and plans for transformation while some students are still learning in wholly inadequate conditions? A bamboo structure may provide temporary shelter, but it is not a classroom. It is certainly not an acceptable learning environment for Jamaica’s children.

The ministry must stop treating this as a minor inconvenience or a localised problem. These are children whose safety, dignity and educational development are at stake. They deserve classrooms that are properly constructed, weatherproof, adequately furnished, and conducive to learning. This temporary arrangement cannot be allowed to become the norm.

I therefore call on the minister of education and the ministry’s senior officials to provide a clear explanation for the delay in securing proper classroom accommodation, as well as a timeline for resolving the situation at Holland Primary School.

Jamaica cannot credibly speak about educational transformation while children are being taught under a bamboo structure. Transformation must be visible in the everyday experiences of students, especially those in communities that are too often overlooked. It must mean safe schools, proper facilities ,and equal respect for every child, not merely ambitious speeches and policy documents.

The children of Holland Primary deserve better, and they deserve it now. The Ministry of Education must act with urgency, accountability and compassion.

Ralston Chamberlain