The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information has activated its drought protocols as the 2026/2027 academic year begins.
The measures are expected to support hundreds of schools affected by water restrictions caused by drought conditions currently affecting the country.
Providing the update at the official launch ceremony of Hydel Cumberland High School on Monday (September 7), at the Cumberland campus in Portmore, St. Catherine, Portfolio Minister, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, said the response is guided by long-standing interagency planning.
“It’s not something that we just wake up and say, ‘Oh my goodness; it’s a drought; we need a plan’. The ministry has drought protocols. We meet routinely with the National Water Commission (NWC), and Minister [of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Matthew] Samuda would have gotten from Cabinet some additional funds to help with trucking of water,” Senator Morris Dixon said.
She noted that schools are priority for the trucking of water, adding that NWC crew members visited many schools over the weekend prior to the start of the new school year to refill storage systems.
For schools that operate outside of the NWC, Minister Morris Dixon disclosed that private water truck companies have been contracted.
“What the ministry has done is to contract with private truckers so that they can truck to the schools. So, the way it works is the principal works with the regional office and indicates where they may be running low on water, and then the ministry prioritises it,” the Minister explained.
As for boarding schools that will require more water, Minister Morris Dixon noted that similar protocols are in place, except they would receive water more frequently.
To build water resilience within the Ministry, Senator Morris Dixon noted that part of the school-rebuilding efforts includes providing bigger tanks to store more water, as well as installing infrastructure for rainwater harvesting.
Additionally, Minister Morris Dixon is proposing circular water solutions to protect school agricultural programmes, such as repurposing greywater from school kitchens and facilities to sustain school gardens.
“And that’s where I’m going in terms of looking at our schools and how we use water more effectively. And that’s an opportunity we’re getting through the rebuilding process, especially in the [western end of the island], and we can bring those learnings into other parishes as we do a lot,” the Minister said.
She highlighted that the Ministry will maintain active monitoring and trucking efforts during the dry spell.
