Minister Highlights Role of Church-Led Schools in Jamaican Education

Montego Bay, Jamaica – Minister of Education Dr. Dana Morris Dixon has emphasized the significant role of church-led schools in shaping the academic success of Jamaican students. Speaking at the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Montego Bay on Sunday, she highlighted that the nation’s top-performing schools are often those affiliated with religious organizations, particularly Catholic institutions.

“From seeing the results from our schools, we see that the best-performing schools are Catholic schools and others run by our churches,” Morris Dixon stated while addressing the congregation. She was delivering remarks during the centennial anniversary celebrations of three Montego Bay-based schools—Chetwood Primary, Mount Alvernia Preparatory, and Mount Alvernia High School.

Drawing from her personal experience as a graduate of the Catholic-run Campion College, Morris Dixon underscored the church’s long-standing influence on education in Jamaica. “When I look at my own personal experience…it is clear that there is a role for the Church in saving our children and our country,” she said.

She further stressed that academic excellence must go hand in hand with moral and spiritual development. “I learned from early that it’s important to be academically excellent, but it is also really, really important to be a good child of God and to do every single thing that you can to further God’s mission on earth. That was instilled in me in the schools that I went to,” she added.

Morris Dixon also lauded a recently launched church-led program at Holy Trinity High School in Kingston, aimed at enhancing the skills of students entering grade seven. The initiative brings together church leaders, the private sector, and the Ministry of Education to provide much-needed support to students, particularly in literacy and numeracy.

“I saw the Church coming together, lots of persons in the Church coming together, working with the private sector, working with the Ministry of Education, to rescue that school,” she noted. “To say to those children that, ‘in spite of where you come from, in spite of all the challenges that you have, you matter, and we are going to work together to make sure that your future is brighter.’”

The education minister emphasized the urgent need to address low literacy and numeracy rates among students, describing it as a national priority. She praised the church’s intervention at Holy Trinity High, which not only focuses on academic skills but also character development.

“It is not something we can be proud of, and it is something that we have to address,” she remarked. “So I was so happy last week Thursday to see the Church saying, ‘we are not going to let this happen; we are going to intervene with these students with a focus on three things.’ One was numeracy, one was literacy, and the other one was character development, and it speaks volumes to what we believe as Christians.”

While commending the Church’s contribution, Morris Dixon also called on the wider community to take an active role in supporting education. She urged residents of St. James and beyond to strengthen their involvement with local schools to ensure students receive the best possible education.

“We all have a part to play, and when I say all, I mean all of us in here, the entire community,” she emphasized. “We all have a role to play in giving every student the environment and the opportunity for success.”

Encouraging greater community engagement, she added, “I urge the entire St. James community to double and triple your efforts for all the schools in your vicinity. It is only with your support that the sons and daughters of Jamaica can truly receive the amazing school experience and the education that every single child deserves.”

Dr. Morris Dixon’s remarks reaffirm the crucial role of faith-based institutions in education, while also calling for a collaborative effort between the Church, the government, and the community to uplift Jamaican students.