Sink or swim? - Schools take the plunge to build water confidence, literacy, as more J’cans urged to embrace skill Despite being surrounded by water, most Jamaicans cannot swim – a national reality that swim teacher Georgina Boland sees reflected yearly in the intake of students at The Queen’s School in St Andrew, many of whom arrive with little to no water confidence. To combat this gap in basic survival skills, the all-girls institution is among a handful of schools to have incorporated swimming into its curriculum and requires every student from first to third form to complete a term of lessons as part of their physical education instruction.
Schools tread water as swimming costs rise Although it would be ideal for every school to have a pool, Major Desmon Brown, president of the Calabar Old Boys’ Association, believes the undertaking would be far too expensive. “I am also the manager of the Independence Park Stadium complex, and the pool is the most expensive facility to operate. The schools just can’t afford it,” he said.
Western swimmers making waves despite limited pools, coaching gaps WESTERN BUREAU: A shortage of qualified coaches and limited access to competition-standard facilities have not diminished the ambitions of western Jamaica’s swimming fraternity, which is determined to strengthen the region’s competitive programme and develop athletes capable of excelling at the highest levels of the sport. The swimming fraternity says that while western Jamaica has made strides in competitive swimming, improving coaching resources and access to suitable facilities will be critical to taking the sport to the next level.
Issa: Politicians, citizens too comfortable with underperformance Businessman Christopher Issa has criticised successive political leaders for what he described as the poor stewardship of Jamaica, arguing that the country has become too comfortable with underperformance when it should be setting higher standards for national development. Using the contrast between the limbo and high jump as an analogy for the country’s progress, Issa said Jamaica’s leaders and citizens must stop accepting declining standards and start demanding more from those entrusted with managing the nation’s resources.
Dangerous delay - Jamaica’s workers await long-promised occupational safety legislation; Charles promises bill in Parliament before year end While the tragic workplace accidents that claimed the lives of Shine Johnson, Everton Campbell and Clifton James recently gripped Jamaica, their deaths serve as a stark reminder of the potential health and safety risks associated with the daily grind and making ends meet. Johnson died and his colleague was seriously injured on September 1, when a concrete structure on which they were both standing collapsed at Balcombe Drive Primary and Junior High School in Kingston.
Retirement blues - With just 12 per cent of workers having private pensions, Jamaicans urged to close savings gap With private pension coverage standing at just 12.08 per cent of Jamaica’s employed labour force, the Pension Industry Association of Jamaica (PIAJ) is urging workers across generations to take a more deliberate approach to retirement planning. Jamaica has approximately 1.44 million people in its employed labour force, but active private pension coverage stood at only 12.08 per cent as at September 2025, raising concerns about how adequately workers are preparing for life after employment.
SIMMER DOWN - Tougher sanctions needed to curb parliamentary tensions, lecturer warns With tensions in Jamaica’s Parliament escalating this week, a government lecturer is calling for tougher sanctions against lawmakers who breach parliamentary procedures, warning that failure to act could see the House of Representatives degenerate into a “brawl”.
Weir: Failure to teach respect creates bullies WESTERN BUREAU: Veteran educator Lynton Weir believes the norms and values being passed on to children, especially boys, must be closely examined to determine whether such lessons are influencing them to become bullies. Weir made the point while addressing a forum on the role of fathers, which formed a part of the National Parenting Support Commission’s series of events in celebration of National Parent Month, which is being observed under the theme ‘Parents Tek a Stand: Raise Kindness, Stop Bullying’.
Mount Alvernia High principal denies canteen food made students ill WESTERN BUREAU: Students and administrators at the Montego Bay-based Mount Alvernia High School are at odds over concerns about food safety at the all-girls institution, following reports that several students fell sick this week after eating a variety of food from the canteen. In an email sent to The Gleaner, the students, who requested anonymity, said that they and their parents remain uncertain about whether thorough health and safety checks are being done to ascertain the safety of meals being served at the girls’ school.
No public session at JLP conference this year Veteran politician J.C. Hutchinson will step down as deputy leader, highlighting leadership changes as the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) shifts to a scaled-down, private delegates-only conference on Sunday, November 15. The JLP announced at a press conference on Friday, that this year’s annual conference will only be open to its 6,000 delegates and will be held at the Montego Bay Conference Centre in St James.