Aged 16, Damoie Byfield is recalling the day he had to run for his life, jumping into a gully just as a gunman’s bullet grazed his chest. He’s telling it so vividly, and with such a knowing smile that his mother Shian Leslie is finding it hard to hold back not tears, but actually laughter – relief that her son survived. If that… Read more →←
“Are you having a good time using your tablets?” “YES!!!” shouts a chorus of students. It’s the International day for persons with disabilities and Jamaica’s Portfolio Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon Fayval Williams, is hosting a virtual check-in to learn from students with special needs, some… Read more →←
When I look in the mirror each morning, I see a woman of worth, I see a woman of compassion, I see a woman of empathy, I see a woman of strength, I see a woman who has come a far way. I see a woman who can make a difference in other people’s life and in the younger ones’ lives to come. What really motivates me is hearing the way the… Read more →←
When Miguel Murray goes to work, his children worry. A porter at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), he’s proud of his supporting role ensuring that patients can be treated. But that work comes with the added risk of potential exposure to COVID-19 facing Jamaica’s healthcare workers. “To be frank helping people is… Read more →←
Read the report Education on hold: A generation of children in Jamaica, the Caribbean and Latin America are missing out on their schooling “I wanted to get my education”, says 11-year-old Joel Young as he scribbles in his notebook. At his parents’ wooden house in Little Bay, a small rural fishing community on the west coast of… Read more →←
Six months ago, as classrooms emptied and the island braced for COVID-19, students began to confront a new normal. For many, this would test their mettle unlike ever before. For others already grappling with mental health issues, the adjustments would be even more difficult. “A lot of the children are fearful. They are really… Read more →←
From being the kind of student who is always on point at school, in COVID-19 I was struggling even to remember words to form paragraphs. I found myself not knowing how to do this, not knowing how to do that. Then in online class I would be getting confused feeling like they’re calling my name a little bit too much… I was just… Read more →←
As what I would call the ‘guinea pigs’ of an education system transformed by COVID-19, it stands to reason that the National Secondary Students’ Council (NSSC) can contribute a lot to the new Education Transformation Commission! As the only generation to have been on the receiving end of distance learning, I believe that this… Read more →←
What has made me feel better during this terrible time is learning to adjust to situations. I’m a very sensitive and emotional person and when I’m dealing with stress I usually get a loss of appetite, and I sleep more often. And this has been THE most stressful time. And right now I’m not feeling too well because I have… Read more →←
School closing made me realise that I am not as strong as I thought I was. I actually thought that it would have been easier because being at home I would have had fewer distractions. Instead, it’s sometimes like I’m just locked away in my thoughts in this dark space. I really found out that I struggled with anxiety during this… Read more →←