FLIGHT SQUEEZE - Ja-Florida fares soar past US$3,000 as travellers battle for scarce seats WESTERN BUREAU: Travellers trying to get between Jamaica and Florida in the United States are facing airfares exceeding US$3,000, sold-out flights, and limited alternatives as a severe summer squeeze on airline seats takes hold. The crunch, particularly acute during July and August, has made getting to South Florida – normally less than two hours by air from Jamaica – an expensive and, in some cases, near-impossible exercise.
Blake’s grade-one sweep - Young teacher’s dedication pays off as all 10 TD students earn top marks Kemoy Blake, the technical drawing teacher at Winston Jones High School in Manchester, is used to his students achieving high passes in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination. But in his eight years at the school, this was the first time all his students scored grade ones in the subject area, with some earning distinctions. “I am extremely proud and grateful. For me as a teacher, it is a very ... moment,” he told The Gleaner, failing to find the right word. “I will always cherish this moment.”
Driver fights to be reinstated after gas theft accusation, resignation A former Rubis Energy Jamaica driver is fighting to be reinstated after claiming that he was forced to sign a resignation letter following allegations that he was involved in the theft of gas from company trucks. Aduke Walker, 48, who has worked with Rubis since 2023 and has received multiple awards, including two ‘Driver of the Year ’ awards, is insisting that he did not voluntarily resign on June 16 but was pressured into doing so. Asked why he complied and resigned if he was innocent, Walker said, “That’s the question everybody is asking.”
Beyond ‘Red Light, Yellow Light, Pepper Light’ WESTERN BUREAU: Young Jamaicans are being challenged to look beyond Red Light, Yellow Light, Pepper Light hype and use the Internet to find scholarships, learn skills, and pursue opportunities capable of changing their lives. Clive Harris, group technical manager at Rainforest Caribbean, issued the challenge to scholarship recipients recently, arguing that today’s young people have access to a powerful resource that was not readily available to him while growing up.
Nutrition counselling giving pregnant women better shot at beating anaemia WESTERN BUREAU: Nadine Simmonds-Lewis, the regional nutritionist at the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), said a review by the entity has found that pregnant women who received nutrition counselling were more than twice as likely to show positive changes in their haemoglobin levels, and as a result, she is calling for more nutrition intervention.
Battered schools, resilient results - Storm-hit western institutions make major gains in CSEC, CAPE WESTERN BUREAU: Before Beverley Feare could prepare her students for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, she first had to find them. Hurricane Melissa had torn through the communities served by Maud McLeod High School in eastern Westmoreland, damaging the school, displacing families, and cutting communication with students at a critical point in their preparation for the examinations.
‘Students must follow the rules’ - Education minister says schools’ grooming policies must be made clear to parents WESTERN BUREAU: Ahead of the start of the September school term, Education Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon is urging school administrators to ensure that students obey stipulated dress and grooming guidelines, while also imploring parents to encourage their children to follow the rules set by their schools.
‘I cannot change who I am’ - JTA boss vows to disrupt education status quo WESTERN BUREAU: Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President La Sonja Harrison says she cannot change, declaring that she will continue to challenge the status quo and ask uncomfortable questions on behalf of teachers, even as she acknowledges that her outspoken approach has come at a cost. “I can’t change who I am. I really try not to be a hypocrite, I am a disruptor of the status quo,” Harrison said while addressing the eighth session of the 62nd JTA Conference, which was also attended by Education Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon on Wednesday.
Education minister dismisses call to remove ‘political influence’ from school boards WESTERN BUREAU: Education Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon has dismissed concerns that there is a need to remove what some have labelled ‘political influence’ from school boards. According to Morris Dixon, the key issue should be the qualifications and experience of board members and chairpersons. “I wouldn’t call it that [political influence]. I am ambivalent to a certain extent in terms of who nominates the chair on the board. I think the key thing is the qualification of the persons and their experience,” Morris Dixon said.
JTA holds fire on JTC bill WESTERN BUREAU: Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President La Sonja Harrison says the association is waiting patiently to see the revised Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC) Bill before they are tabled, following assurances from Education Minister Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon that the Government has accepted and acted on several of the teachers’ concerns. Morris Dixon said the Government’s legal teams are now finalising the amendments after she personally reviewed the JTA’s submission.