Ground will be broken this year for two Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) schools in Bernard Lodge, St. Catherine and Minard, St. Ann.
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, made the announcement during his contribution to the 2026/27 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Thursday (March 19).
The institutions are the first of six STEM schools being established by the Government across the island.
Dr. Holness advised that the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) will be responsible for building the other four.
These institutions, he said, will take students from early-childhood through secondary education, immersing them in STEM from the earliest years.
“These schools will bring an entirely new approach to education, exposing students to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics in ways that build the creativity, innovation and problem-solving skills that the economy of the future demands,” Dr. Holness said.
He noted that “if Jamaica is serious about competing in a tech-driven, AI (artificial intelligence)-enabled global economy, we cannot educate our children for a world that no longer exists. We must build the institutions that prepare them for the world of today, and more importantly, to compete globally in the world of tomorrow”.
