Post-Independence High Schools in Trelawny and Westmoreland Making Strides

The access to secondary education by students in rural sections of western Jamaica has expanded significantly since the island got its independence in 1962.

With the emergence of several new secondary schools in the region in the late 1960s into the 1980s, came much-needed additional spaces for children exiting primary schools in the west.

According to World Education News and Reviews, the Jamaican Government significantly expanded the school system and succeeded in raising secondary school enrollment rates by 15 per cent by the late 1970s (up from five per cent before 1953).

Every Child Can Achieve.Org further notes that in the early 1980s, problems in secondary education were identified, such as the existence of a complicated, secondary school system that produced graduates of varying quality and “wasted scarce financial resource”.

It was with this is mind that secondary education was restructured to provide students with an education sufficient to meet the requirements of upper secondary school.

Several other changes were instituted in existing secondary schools and implemented in emerging schools in that era.

One post-Independence secondary school which has seen several changes, infrastructural and otherwise, is Muschett High in Trelawny.

In an interview with JIS News, Principal, Leighton Johnson, says the school, which was founded in 1969, was started by way of a partnership between the Ministry of Education and the Anglican Church, with funding from its founder, Arnold Muschett.

“The school was named after Mr. Muschett, who was a worker at the Hampden Sugar Estate [in the parish] and came into a great deal of wealth. He was able to purchase lands adjacent to the sugar estate, [which] he donated to the Anglican church,” he adds.

Mr. Johnson says the Government built the school as a six-stream junior secondary institution, with an initial enrollment of 810 students.

He notes that up to 1998, the course offerings at the school were largely technical and vocational.

“Of course, there were a few students who were given the opportunity to do the CSEC curriculum, but up to 1998, the majority of students were [mostly] exposed to the technical and vocational subjects. After 1998 when the school was given high school status, we started to offer the CSEC curriculum and that is still in effect today,” Mr. Johnson shares.

He notes that the technical and vocational areas at the school remain strong and in recent times cosmetology and motor vehicle repair courses have been added to the offerings at the school.

“So, we were able to construct a lab for motor vehicle repairs and we were able to retrofit a room here that we have as the cosmetology room,” he adds.

Several other infrastructural changes have been made to the school over the years, including two new blocks constructed by the Ministry of Education. There has also been the construction of five additional classrooms through a partnership with the school’s Parent-Teacher and Past Students’ Associations and fund-raising events hosted by the school.

A basketball court has also been constructed to accommodate the school’s male and female basketball teams, which have at one time or another, been crowned champions in national basketball competitions in the island.

Mr. Johnson outlines that agriculture is taught, and the school’s farm is still in existence “and we still expose students to a wide variety of farming techniques”.

“We have a greenhouse, and we expose our students to greenhouse technology and we also expose them to some aspects of aquaponics,” he notes.

Mr. Johnson, who has been the principal of Muschett High for 11 years, tells JIS News that the school currently boasts a student enrollment of 1,460 students, “thus the school operates a shift system because we are unable to accommodate the number of students at any one time”.

Over in western Westmoreland, there is another post-Independence institution, Little London High, which was founded in 1970.

Vice Principal of the school, Terry James, tells JIS News that secondary education in Westmoreland, has changed drastically since the decline in sugar production in the parish.

“Educational institutions in the parish have to be more adept in their programme offerings to meet the needs of the post-Independence era, especially with the need for workers in industries, such as tourism, and the [global services] industry, which has emerged since the decline of sugar production in the parish,” she explains.

“With over 50 years of academic offerings with keen emphasis on technical and vocational education, the institution has transitioned from the different stages of junior secondary, new secondary, comprehensive high to high school status,” Mrs. James shares.

She says with the transition, a pivotal change has taken place to equip the 21st Century learner, and the institution has undertaken initiatives, such as student support, improved student mentorship, an improved welfare programme, [and] job readiness training in collaboration with HEART/ NSTA Trust for the tourism and [global services] industries.

Mrs. James says infrastructural changes have included three new classrooms, as well as a cafeteria, which is still under construction.

The school also boasts a state-of-the-art home economics lab, which was renovated by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), as well as the recently renovated male and female restrooms, done in collaboration with the school’s past students association and Global Network Incorporated.

The school currently has a population of 727 students – 439 boys and 288 girls.

Mrs. James notes that one of the main goals of the school is to ensure that all students are reading above their grade levels and are proficient in at least one skilled area, adding that there have been several outstanding achievements by students over the years.

The school is also into honey production and carries their own label called, ‘The Londoners’.

Past students of both rural institutions tell JIS News about their fond experiences.

Stacy-Ann Gordon, a past student of Muschett High, says her experience at the institution was a good one.

Mrs. Gordon, who graduated in 2005, notes that she became very active in the school’s mathematics club during her tenure, after discovering she was very good at the subject.

Past students of Little London High also speak of having fond memories of their alma mater.

Dr. Laxley Stephenson, who attended Little London while it was a junior secondary school, tells JIS News that the school played an integral role in his early development.

The United States-based teacher says he attended the school prior to relocating [overseas] and furthering his education.

“While at this school, I developed many friendships, friends who are still playing an important role in my life; so in many ways I credit Little London High School, its teachers and staff as playing an important role in my development.”

Also sharing fond memories of his time at Little London High is United States-based healthcare administrator, Dr. Binzie Roy Davidson, who attended the school from 1973 to 1975.

“I was in the first group of students to enter the Junior Secondary School and saw the transformation of the school up to the high school level. I was very fortunate to graduate from the high school as one of the first batch of students,” he says.

“My experience at the school was a very good one, it provided me the foundation on which to build and grow, and I capitalised on the opportunity. The teachers were very kind and caring and that helped me to go into my career. I received my bachelor’s degree in business and healthcare management, and now a Doctor of Business and healthcare management. I am proud of the foundation that was established and for the support of the school,” Dr. Davidson adds.