WESTERN BUREAU:LaSonja Harrison, the president-elect of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), on Thursday expressed disappointment with the current state of some of the schools in western Jamaica, which were impacted by Hurricane Melissa."When I go around to the schools in the west, we still have colleagues who, when rainfall comes, are getting wet all over again, and education is expected to take place in those settings,” she said, while addressing the JTA’s St James Parish Association Annual General Meeting in Montego Bay.Hurricane Melissa caused extensive damage to several schools across western Jamaica, with many of them losing roofs, teaching resources, and the personal properties of educators. While emergency measures allowed schools to reopen, Harrison said many institutions continue to rely on temporary accommodations that are not suitable."It is untenable when we see where even the temporary facilities have now outlived their usefulness. The tents that some schools have are immensely hot. How is it that we expect learning and quality of learning to take place under those circumstances?" she asked.According to Harrison, the hurricane's effects continue to be felt not only in classrooms but also in the lives of teachers, many of whom are still rebuilding their homes and replacing possessions lost during the disaster."We are giving thanks from the west because we have been through waters, but they have not overtaken you. You are still standing," she told the teachers.She praised educators for remaining committed to their students despite dealing with damaged homes, flooded vehicles, and lingering financial challenges. She also noted that the region has entered another hurricane season while many schools remain vulnerable."Some of your situations have not yet been fixed, and schools have not been fixed, and we're in another hurricane season," she said. "The times are getting more turbulent and more challenging."Harrison, who will be installed as president of the JTA at the association’s 2026-2027 annual conference in August, her second term at the helm, said the JTA is continuing to press the Government to move faster in getting the affected schools repaired."The learning condition of the student is the working condition of the teacher. It is important for both teachers and students that our classrooms be retrofitted and restored," she said.Harrison said the association has been advocating for assistance to affected teachers and has facilitated the submission of information to the Government to help JTA members to access relief support. However, she indicated that many educators are still awaiting assistance.She also noted that the experience of Hurricane Melissa has exposed long-standing weaknesses in Jamaica's education infrastructure and reinforced the need for greater investment in schools, noting the continued absence of the injection of the funds that are needed.In outlining the path that she would like to see taken, Harrison is calling for the rebuilding of resilient schools, saying it should be treated as a national priority as Jamaica faces increasingly frequent and intense weather events."We cannot continue to do business as usual when our teachers and students are still trying to recover from a disaster while preparing for the next one," she said.albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com