Principal of the Year Leads Transformation at St. Mary Technical High

At St. Mary Technical High School, the hum of innovation is not confined to classrooms.

It spills into workshops, projects and collaborative initiatives where students are being shaped into future-ready citizens.

Leading this transformation is Principal Orville Richards, who recently received the title of LASCO/Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information/Jamaica Teaching Council 2025 Principal of the Year.

In an interview with JIS News, Mr. Richards was quick to redirect the spotlight.

“This award is not for Orville Richards only. This award is for St. Mary Technical High School, all my teachers, all my students and, of course, the other stakeholders, the Board of Management, also Region 2 that has been supporting us,” he said.

His words reflect a leadership philosophy rooted in shared success and collective effort.

Mr. Richards pursued a Bachelor’s in Education at the University of Technology Jamaica (UTech), majoring in business studies, and began his career in education in 2003 as a teacher at Annotto Bay High School in St. Mary.

His commitment to professional growth led him to earn a Master’s in Educational Administration from the University of the West Indies in 2011, as well as a Certificate of Achievement in Principalship through the Aspiring Principals Programme in 2017.

From 2015 to 2019, Mr. Richards served as Vice-Principal at Buff Bay High School in Portland and acted as Principal from September 2018 to April 2019.

Since assuming leadership of St. Mary Technical High School in January 2020, Mr. Richards has steered the institution towards a clear and deliberate focus on technical and vocational excellence.

While traditional academics remain strong, the school has carved out a distinctive identity centred on skills training and certification.

“We are ensuring that TVET (technical and vocational education and training), STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), and skills training certification is the niche of what we do,” he explained, emphasising the school’s commitment to preparing students for real-world opportunities.

Every student is required to engage in at least two TVET areas, spanning disciplines such as business, industrial technology and home economics.

“We are looking at the market needs and we are aligning our product offering, so that our students can matriculate and take the opportunity to really immerse themselves with training certification and go out there to go into those employment opportunities,” he explained.

Since he has been principal, the National Education Inspectorate (NEI) upgraded the institution’s rating from satisfactory to good, a milestone that Mr. Richards attributes to a collaborative, data-driven approach.

“We are data-driven. So, whatever we do, we look at what the results are, and when we are doing what we call our SIP, our School Improvement Plan, it is not a principal school improvement plan; it’s a school improvement plan,” he shared.

That inclusivity extends across the entire school community, with students, teachers, Board members and support staff all playing a role in shaping progress.

Guided by the motto ‘Development through Application and Innovation’, the school has built a solar-powered aquaponics system.

“It’s an integrated product across all departments,” he said, detailing that the mechanical and industrial department handled the solar installation and welded the structural frames.

The visual arts department then painted and enhanced the overall appearance, while the agriculture and science departments were responsible for planting, with teachers preparing their own fertilisers and nutrient mixes through scientific methods.

Mr. Richards added that the business department is responsible for managing marketing and sales.

Beyond the programmes, the data and the accolades, Mr. Richards’ greatest motivation lies in the lives of his students – their growth, resilience and transformation.

Senior Vice Principal at St. Mary Technical High School, Tanshea Williams-Johnson, told JIS News that her principal’s recognition “means everything”.

“At our school, we thrive on innovation and since he has graced our presence at St. Mary Technical High School, we have charted a course for growth, innovation and we are all dedicated to the process,” she shared.

Mrs. Williams-Johnson said it is the school’s winning season.

“We have had so many successes. We went to the robotics competition for the second time around and we did exceptionally well,” she said, adding that in February 2026, the school became home to a state-of-the-art Innovation Hub for Electrical and Renewable Energy, following a $20-million investment under the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information’s TVET Expansion Plan.

Acting Vice Principal of Buff Bay High School, Tina Anderson, worked under the leadership of Mr. Richards when he was vice principal and acting principal at Buff Bay High School.

“It feels so good because I know the work that he puts into whichever school that he is in charge of. He always inspires the teachers to do their best, and so, this award stands as a testament of his motivation,” Ms. Anderson said.