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The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) says candidates who sat the exam for a pilot Maths certification course did very well.

This, as 88% of the 2,535 students achieved acceptable grades for Module One of the Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (C-TEC) in Mathematics.

CXC Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Wayne Wesley made the announcement yesterday during the ceremony to release the 2026 May-June Examination results.

Dr. Wesley said the results suggest the modular approach is helping to address under-performance in Mathematics.

The C-TEC was announced by CXC in April 2025 with the pilot programme beginning in September of that year.

Dr. Wesley explained that the initiative breaks down the syllabus into modules allowing for more focused and individualised learning.

Dr. Wesley reassured that CXC will continue to build on the programm as it seeks to improve student performance across the region.

The Finance Ministry’s improved offer was reportedly made last Friday.

Immediate past President of the Association Mark Malabver told IRIE FM News on Sunday that the new offer would be put before JTA delegates for a decision.

He said the new offer addressed a number of the issues, but there was one item that still remained outstanding.

In an update today, the JTA noted that the offer was rejected after it was put to delegates attending the Association’s 62nd annual conference at the Ocean Coral Springs Hotel in Duncans Trelawny.

It’s reported that of the 213 votes cast, four were rejected, 54 voted to accept, while 155 voted to reject.

Newly installed JTA President La Sonja Harrison says a formal notification will be dispatched to the Ministry of Finance, indicating the outcome and requesting the earliest possible date to continue the negotiations.

She mentioned two of the issues which may have impacted the result.

The Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President La Sonja Harrison has criticised the state of schools in Western Jamaica damaged by Hurricane Melissa.

Many schools in western parishes were battered by the hurricane, with repairs still underway and the new academic year less than a month away.

Ms. Harrison questioned how much of the Hurricane Melissa relief funds have been earmarked for the island’s schools damaged.

Ms. Harrison adds that the allocation set aside for repairs, appear to be insufficient to fix all the schools that were damaged.

She argued that the tents being used for temporary classes are untenable and should not even house animals.

The Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) says there was an increase in what it describes as irregularities at this year’s sitting of the exams.

Irregularities refer to the inappropriate conduct of students during the exams. Such conduct includes : disruptive or unruly behaviour and the use of cell phones.

CXC Director of Operations Dr. Nicole manning says there were over 100 such incidents.

Dr. Manning says the use of unauthorized devices represented the largest instance reported.

She points out that another issue was collusion where candidates tried to work together in an exam to complete it.

She highlighted the other major concern.

In the meantime, absenteeism remains a major concern for CXC.

Dr. Manning says this year, more than 32,000 students did not turn up for exams at the CXC level and over three thousand at the cape level.

She says the regional education sector must be concerned about this.

She was addressing a ceremony for the release of the CXC 2026 May-June examination results in Anguilla today.

The economy is expected to contract for the July to September quarter of this year.

The update was made by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) during a press briefing today.

PIOJ Director General Dr. Wayne Henry said the short term prospects for the economy are negative.

Dr. Henry noted that among the factors to stimulate growth is the operationalization of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NARRA).

Risks to the short term outlook include weather related shocks, especially during the hurricane season.

Dancehall artiste Kiprich is opening up about a difficult period in his life, days after the death of his father.

Speaking with Music News, a grieving Kiprich described 2026 as a particularly painful year, having suffered the loss of both a daughter and his father just months apart.

Kiprich, known for his energetic presence in dancehall, said the back-to-back losses have left him dealing with profound grief and sadness.

Kiprich’s father Magnus Lloyd Plunkett, who was receiving treatment for a medical condition, died suddenly on Friday August 14. He was 72.

Dancehall singjay  Chico has expressed concern about what he believes is a decline in the spiritual essence of music across genres.

Speaking on IRIE FM’s Wake-up Call this morning, the artiste said music today feels “lukewarm” when compared with the music of previous generations.

According to Chico, music once carried a deeper sense of purpose and spirituality, with artistes using their craft to connect with fans on a more meaningful level.

Chico said the shift is not limited to dancehall, noting that music across several genres appears to have lost some of the substance and spirit that characterized earlier eras.

Chico’s comments come amid ongoing conversations about the direction of Jamaican music. The singjay believes artistes have a responsibility to be more intentional about the messages they put into their music and to help restore the spiritual and emotional connection that once defined much of the industry.

Meanwhile, Chico is promoting his 8-track EP, Wildcard Volume 1. Available wherever music is sold.

The Justice Ministry has secured a plaza to house the Westmoreland Parish Court, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Melissa last October.

Portfolio Minister Delroy Chuck provided the update at the Judiciary’s Annual Strategic Management Retreat at the AC Hotel Kingston yesterday.

In April, court staff staged a sick-out over poor working conditions at the facility.

Meanwhile, Mr. Chuck said another building is being examined to house the St. Elizabeth parish court, which was also damaged by the Category 5 hurricane.

Jamaica’s expected timeline for achieving pre-Hurricane Melissa levels of output has been reduced from three to one and a half or two years.

Immediately following the Category 5 Hurricane last October, the Planning Institute of Jamaica projected that a return to pre-Melissa levels of output would happen in fiscal year 2028/2029.

That estimate was grounded in the patterns observed following previous weather-related and other external shocks.

However, in an update during a press briefing this morning, Director General Dr. Wayne Henry said this projection has improved.

The economy contracted by 2.9 per cent in the April/June quarter compared with the same period in 2025.

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) revealed the estimates during a Quarterly Press Conference this morning.

Director General, Dr. Wayne Henry, said the contraction largely reflected the continued downturn across most industries due to the lingering impact of Hurricane Melissa.

He said the Hurricane led to an estimated decline in domestic demand.

He said the economy is expected to contract in the next quarter as Jamaica continues its recovery process.

However, economic expansion is projected for fiscal year 2026/2027.