Diaspora Conference | Hurricane-damaged schools to be rebuilt stronger, says Morris Dixon

Jamaica's education system has emerged as a model of resilience following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, with all schools reopening within 90 days despite widespread damage, Education Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon has argued. 

She was speaking Monday at the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference in Montego Bay, St James 

Morris Dixon reiterated that the Government has secured $18 billion to rebuild hundreds of schools damaged by the hurricane, while ensuring that the institutions are reconstructed to higher standards capable of withstanding future storms.

"After our one-in-a-hundred-year hurricane, where hundreds of our schools were damaged, within 90 days all of our schools were open," the minister said. More than 152,000 students and 8,000 teachers were affected by the storm, which slammed the slammed the island in October 2025. 

Describing Hurricane Melissa as a "one-in-100-year disruption," Morris Dixon noted that the disaster caused unprecedented upheaval across the education sector, displacing students and teachers and leaving some schools completely destroyed.

She disclosed that one school was reduced to little more than its foundation, while others suffered severe structural damage. However, she said the ministry moved quickly to restore educational services, even when classes had to be conducted under tents and temporary structures.

"We knew that the longer students are away from their schools, the higher the likelihood they will not return," she said.

The minister argued that reopening schools quickly was critical not only for learning but also for students' emotional well-being.

"Studies in Jamaica have shown that children feel the safest at school — not at home, not in their community," she said.

Morris Dixon acknowledged public concerns about the pace of reconstruction but explained that rebuilding efforts are competing with housing and business restoration projects for labour and equipment.

"It's not because we don't have the funds to do it, it's because everything is happening at the same time," she said.

She added that the Government is focused on rebuilding schools to stronger standards.

"They can't just be rebuilt to what was there before, or else the next hurricane they're gone again," the minister said.

Morris Dixon also appealed to members of the Jamaican diaspora to continue supporting education initiatives, particularly in literacy, special education, technology and skills training, areas she identified as critical to preparing students for the future.

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