Lead Stories

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
Updated 13 hours ago by Corey Robinson/Senior Staff Reporter

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 under the influence of marijuana or other drugs. The finding is among several troubling revelations from the latest Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS), which paints a concerning picture of the health and well-being of Jamaica’s adolescents, including poor dietary habits, declining physical activity, and worsening mental health indicators.

Read more
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
Published 17 hours ago by Mickalia Kington

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 Three classroom and upward, shows apparent readiness following work that was done on the roofs and a fresh paint job.
Updated 13 hours ago by Mickalia Kington

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.
Published 17 hours ago by Lester Hinds

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.
Published 17 hours ago by Albert Ferguson

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.
Published 17 hours ago by Ruddy Mathison

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
Published 17 hours ago by Christopher Thomas

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.
September 2, 2026 by Sashana Small

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…
Dr Jubilee Brown-Service, president of the Jamaica Medical Doctors Association.
September 2, 2026 by Edmond Campbell

JMDA warns of growing frustration over delayed IDT judgment

Dr Jubilee Brown-Service, the newly appointed president of the Jamaica Medical Doctors Association (JMDA), says the association is giving the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) another two to three…
Many of the displaced families are now living in tents.
September 2, 2026

Tourism sector backs Coopers Pen relocation plans

WESTERN BUREAU: Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has pledged the support of the tourism sector to residents of Coopers Pen, Trelawny, who were recently left homeless after the demolition of 20 houses.…