STATHS N.E. Alumni
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| The History of St Andrew Technical High School |
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E-mail:
OAR@STATHSNE.com
Office Of Alumni Relations
917.880.8314
Public Relations
908.884.0455
STATHS Alumni Association
North East Chapter
Post Office Box 130141
Springfield Gardens
New York 11413-0141
OAR@STATHSNE.com
Office Of Alumni Relations
917.880.8314
Public Relations
908.884.0455
STATHS Alumni Association
North East Chapter
Post Office Box 130141
Springfield Gardens
New York 11413-0141
April 10, 1961 marked the birth of St. Andrew Technical High School.
The idea to establish a technical high school in the poor western
region of Kingston is accredited to one of Jamaica's most
outstanding, distinguished and dedicated sons; the Most Honourable
Sir Florizel Augustus Glasspole, ON, GCMG, GCVO, K.St. J O.D., C.D.
former Governor General of Jamaica. He selected the site - fifteen
acres of land located at 64 Spanish Town Road and laid the
Foundation for its development. In his capacity as Minister of
Education which he then had, he sought and got financial assistance
from overseas to construct the first buildings.
The Early Years 1961-1971
The school started as a co-educational institution with a student
population of one hundred and twenty and an academic staff of
eight. Mr E.G. Roper acted as Principal and was succeeded by Mr.
Austin John Holmes in September 1961. There was only one block of
classrooms together with Engineering and Building Workshop and
unequipped Home Economics and Science Laboratories. The honour
of seeing the school through its formative years goes to Mr. Holmes.
He was not only responsible for the physical layout of the grounds
but also for the model of the school's organisational structure. His
engineering training benefited the fledgling school in that he made
additions to the existing buildings, sometimes without the help of
the Ministry of Education
When Mr. Holmes left in 1968 the school's "teething pains" were over
and the new principal Mr. R. Copeland found an excellent foundation
on which to continue to build. He did not remain long however, and in
September 1969 he was succeeded by the St. Andrew Trade Training
Centre, STATHS nearest neighbor was built in 1961 with funds
provided by the United States of America as part of a co-operative
programme in education. It was the largest and most equipped
vocational institution in Jamaica and the English-speaking Caribbean.
The first Principal of the Trade Training Centre was Mr. Steadley
Webster. The institution was geared to train young men in Building
Construction, Plumbing, Electricity, Welding, Machine Shop, Auto
Mechanics and Technical Drawing to enable them to find ready
employment. The period of training was one year.
The Years of Expansion 1971-1986
In 1971, ten years after the birth of the school it was felt that a
merger of the St. Andrew Technical High School and the Trade
Training Centre could prove to be more economical and would
broaden the scope for training. The amalgamation took place and
both institutions came under one administration. The duration of the
courses in the Trade Training Centre was extended from one to two
years and the curriculum enriched with the introduction of Physical
Education and Science. The student body rose to eight hundred and
sixty. Most of the credit for the concept of modern St. Andrew
Technical goes to the late principal S.W. Isaac-Henry O.D., J.P., and
a group of efficient teachers. In 1972 a Commercial Practice course
was introduced in the Vocational Stream to enable girls who were
older than average to be trained in business skills.
The idea to establish a technical high school in the poor western
region of Kingston is accredited to one of Jamaica's most
outstanding, distinguished and dedicated sons; the Most Honourable
Sir Florizel Augustus Glasspole, ON, GCMG, GCVO, K.St. J O.D., C.D.
former Governor General of Jamaica. He selected the site - fifteen
acres of land located at 64 Spanish Town Road and laid the
Foundation for its development. In his capacity as Minister of
Education which he then had, he sought and got financial assistance
from overseas to construct the first buildings.
The Early Years 1961-1971
The school started as a co-educational institution with a student
population of one hundred and twenty and an academic staff of
eight. Mr E.G. Roper acted as Principal and was succeeded by Mr.
Austin John Holmes in September 1961. There was only one block of
classrooms together with Engineering and Building Workshop and
unequipped Home Economics and Science Laboratories. The honour
of seeing the school through its formative years goes to Mr. Holmes.
He was not only responsible for the physical layout of the grounds
but also for the model of the school's organisational structure. His
engineering training benefited the fledgling school in that he made
additions to the existing buildings, sometimes without the help of
the Ministry of Education
When Mr. Holmes left in 1968 the school's "teething pains" were over
and the new principal Mr. R. Copeland found an excellent foundation
on which to continue to build. He did not remain long however, and in
September 1969 he was succeeded by the St. Andrew Trade Training
Centre, STATHS nearest neighbor was built in 1961 with funds
provided by the United States of America as part of a co-operative
programme in education. It was the largest and most equipped
vocational institution in Jamaica and the English-speaking Caribbean.
The first Principal of the Trade Training Centre was Mr. Steadley
Webster. The institution was geared to train young men in Building
Construction, Plumbing, Electricity, Welding, Machine Shop, Auto
Mechanics and Technical Drawing to enable them to find ready
employment. The period of training was one year.
The Years of Expansion 1971-1986
In 1971, ten years after the birth of the school it was felt that a
merger of the St. Andrew Technical High School and the Trade
Training Centre could prove to be more economical and would
broaden the scope for training. The amalgamation took place and
both institutions came under one administration. The duration of the
courses in the Trade Training Centre was extended from one to two
years and the curriculum enriched with the introduction of Physical
Education and Science. The student body rose to eight hundred and
sixty. Most of the credit for the concept of modern St. Andrew
Technical goes to the late principal S.W. Isaac-Henry O.D., J.P., and
a group of efficient teachers. In 1972 a Commercial Practice course
was introduced in the Vocational Stream to enable girls who were
older than average to be trained in business skills.
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