Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Elaine Foster-Allen, has charged Jamaica's youth to use their creative talents to develop solutions to the country's various challenges.

"The opportunities are there for you to solve problems, so as young people, I would want to challenge you to look at the gifts, the talents, the abilities you have to solve problems, to make solutions for the problems that we have here in Jamaica," she stated.

The permanent secretary was addressing a ceremony Wednesday at Brown's Town High School in St Ann, where three high schools, which were refurbished by the Government of Jamaica in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at a cost of US$336,000, were officially handed over to the schools' administrators.

The institutions, which had suffered extensive damage during Tropical Storm Nicole in 2010, are Brown's Town High; Port Antonio High, Portland; and Maggotty High in St Elizabeth.

Education specialist at USAID, Clair Spence, said the agency provided approxi mately US$250,000 for the refurbishing works, with the education ministry contributing the remainder in cash and kind.

She explained that the scope of work carried out will enable the schools to withstand up to a category-four hurricane.

"What was noteworthy, though, and I must commend the students and parents, is that the repairs were undertaken while students were still attending school, because we were not able to do it in the summer months," Spence said.

She lauded the contribution of the teachers and members of the school boards.