EDUCATION | Educators positive response to psychosocial measures

KINGSTON, Jamaica, December 1, 2025 - Educators, in concert generally, and particularly those  engaged recently online in a collaborative presentation by the Ministry of Education, the Pamella’s Sunrise Foundation and the Jamaica Poets Nomadic College and School Tour, firmly believe that the Ministry’s psychosocial measures to address the traumas of hurricane Melissa are quite positive and a plus.

Indeed, what’s required, they argue, is more of such outreach.

The online session was interactive and designed to mirror an in-person therapeutic visit, using guided questions to help educators move towards positive outcomes and healing.

Hosted by Mrs. Kennecy Davidson, head of the Ministry’s Guidance Counseling Unit, the main presentations were made by Dr Marjorie McWilliams, Director of Counseling of the Pamella’s Sunrise Foundation, Denise Johnston, the Founding Director, and poets Malachi Smith, noted dub poet and Founder of the School Tour, Curtis Myrie, journalist and author and Dr Natalie Corthesy, Senior Lecturer, the UWI, Mona.

Dr. McWilliams addressed several key topics: normal responses to hurricanes, healthy grieving, practical strategies for educators coping with trauma, and the importance of self-care—reminding participants to “put on their own life vest first.” She also discussed how educators can support students’ recovery, how to recognize when additional mental-health help is needed, and the role of faith in times of trauma.

The Foundation’s founding director Johnston, explaining how faith factored into her own trauma experience – her sister Pamella Johnston being the first female officer killed in the line of duty – stressed that through faith your life could be transformed from pain to purpose.

She highlighted the importance of finding a support group or supportive friend to talk about the trauma. ‘You should not let anyone shut you up about it,’ she said. ‘as many times I was asked – are you talking about that again?                                                                                                                    

Healing doesn’t come without talking and working through it.’

Thanking the Education Ministry for the session that he described as one especially geared to educators to grasp coping strategies, participant Bishop Dr Jeremy McGregor, guidance counselor of the Trench Town Polytechnic School, said that it sharpened the empathetic skills of how you processed grief and emotions.

‘The hurricane deeply affected national psyche,’ he said, ‘and has opened up room for us to be more helpful and attentive to the vulnerable.’ In addressing what more could be done, Dr McGregor said that counsellors should regularly leave  Kingston and be on the ground in the hardest hit areas.

‘As counselors we should be travelling teams in partnership with the Ministry and mental health professionals going to affected areas 2 – 3 times per week with care packages as well, addressing students, members of the school community and parents.

We should be staging Back to Jamaica Day – spreading hope through counseling, poetry, songs and storytelling – thinking out of the box with new strategies to connect with people at their level.

We have to be the agents of the new psychosocial pattern that is needed. It can’t be business as usual.’

Mrs. Eackle Levy, guidance counselor of St Elizabeth Technical since 2013, agrees that it clearly cannot be. ‘We were hit hard. It’s very bad, but we’re trying to work with what we have to see how far we can go.’

She stated that some grades attend 3 – 4 day school week with only grade 11 and those other students sitting the CAPE exams attending the regular five days.

‘There are mental challenges,’ she says, ‘as a lot of parents are unemployed – farmers losing their livelihood – with families having to be relocated and many still staying with relatives and friends.

A number of students are withdrawn – only talking about it when increasing group sessions are held, sharing how they’re affected with some bursting out and crying.                                           

Individual follow up sessions are held. Many have admitted that they have now learnt not to take hurricanes for granted – as they were outside  playing.’                                                                                                       

For guidance counselors, she says, it definitely cannot be business as usual. She is pleased that the Education Ministry has given the go ahead for the guidance counseling curriculum to be adjusted – with sessions now placing more emphasis on psychosocial and emotional needs.

‘We have to get the students back to that place,’ she said, ‘where they can function normally as they used to do before.

We have to also bear in mind that with the loss of livelihood for many parents we have to provide more free meals to students.

Care packages are needed and we now have to contribute to their transportation costs to enable more students to attend school.’

She admits that there is ‘an overload on the department’ and would therefore welcome more mental health professionals in schools. ‘With so many schools in Region 5 we certainly need more sessions – for students and educators too who have also been affected and  are faced with these traumatic challenges as well. More engagement is a plus.’

It's engagement that will also continue to be provided by the Jamaica Poets Nomadic College and School Tour with its motivational messaging. Initially set for November 1 – 15 and postponed following the hurricane, it will  now be staged from December 1 – 13.

Sponsored by DONKARDLA Co. Ltd., particular schools in affected areas will be visited from December 1 – 6 with various products for care packages to be provided by LASCO. The Tour will then focus on schools primarily in St Catherine and Kingston and St Andrew from December 8 – 13.

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