Strong PEP school placements follow Melissa as fishers mark national day in St Thomas

Primary Exit Profile examination results are out, and education officials say the vast majority of grade-six students have secured secondary-school places across Jamaica despite sitting the tests in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

The Ministry of Education announced that ninety per cent of candidates were placed at a school of their choice, while ninety-nine per cent of registered students received a placement overall. Pupils islandwide wrote PEP on April 29 and 30, 2025, months after the storm disrupted classrooms and routines nationwide.

CVM News reporter Carla Ramine gathered reactions in Halfway Tree, where residents praised the outcome given the hurricane's toll on learning. One woman noted that her niece still struggles with memories of the disaster, yet students pushed through to produce strong passes in the 2026 cycle.

At Destiny Academy and Preparatory School in Hopewell, Hanover, principal Simone Murdoch said staff and students were celebrating a perfect hundred per cent pass rate. She credited research, perseverance, and steady support from teachers and parents for the achievement.

Meanwhile, Jamaica marks International Fisherman's Day with a main celebration on Wednesday, June 25, at Colonel's Cove in Morant Bay, St Thomas, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. National Fisheries Authority CEO Dr Gavin Bellamy said the week-long observance honours fishers who risk their lives to supply the nation's seafood. Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Minister Floyd Green is scheduled to address the gathering, alongside wellness checks, competitions, and booths from partner agencies.

Bellamy recalled how freak storms, sargassum influx, and Hurricane Melissa devastated the sector, destroying roughly half of the country's artisanal fishing fleet. More than ninety per cent of local fishing is artisanal, carried out in small boats that bore the heaviest losses. The NFA has distributed twenty equipped boats and engines—including to two women—and trained more than three hundred fishers in long-line and fish-aggregating-device techniques, as well as post-harvest handling through Japanese partners.

Master Chef contestant Takaya Dryden is touring Jamaica for two weeks, sharing Caribbean-rooted dishes after cooking with the prime minister at Jamaica House. Cyber safety advocate Emma Sharp Dalton Brown pointed to recent arrests in Montego Bay linked to a student cyberbullying ring, urging mandatory digital safety education in schools.

Martial arts pioneer Newton James will host a benefit tournament this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the University of Technology, Jamaica, with proceeds supporting Hurricane Melissa relief. Sports coverage noted Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice as Portugal beat Uzbekistan five-nil, while England drew nil-nil with Ghana in World Cup group play.