Seven schools in Dominica's East and Northeast districts reopen on April 30, 2026, with a "Return to Happiness Programme" to support students after recent flood
Dominica: The Ministry of Education Human Resource, Planning, Vocational Training and National Excellence has announced the reopening of seven of the eleven closed schools in the East and Northeast districts. These schools were initially closed for three days (April 27 to April 29) due to Sunday. April 26, trough system, which caused flooding and severe damages to the communities.
According to the Press Release shared by the Government of Dominica, seven schools, including Wesley Primary, Temple SDA, Wills Strathmore Stevens Primary, Sineku Primary, Salybia Primary, Castle Bruce Primary and San Sauveur Primary are to be reopened on Thursday, April 30, 2026, allowing the learners to go back to their normal routine.
Four schools will open at a later date as the Ministry of Education waits for the go ahead from the engineers within the Ministry of Public Works. North East Comprehensive School (NECS) and Castle Bruce Secondary School (CBSS) will proceed their learning on Friday May 1, with the usual 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. timetable, while Atkinson Primary and Lighthouse Christian Academy will begin classes on Tuesday, May 5.
The Ministry of Education shared that it has organised a Return to Happiness Programme on the opening day, to help the students, teachers and staff with psychological support as they “transition back to the school environment after the impact of disaster.”
The support initiative is expected to last for approximately three hours and will involve counsellors, education officers and other Ministry personnel who will support its realization.
The Ministry announced that the seven schools will conduct the programme at their locations, however, students studying at Atkinson Primary and Lighthouse Christian Academy will attend the programme at the Atkinson Catholic Church.
Parents and guardians have also been encouraged to join their children and participate in the Return to Happiness Programme.