NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022 12 Keisha Hill/Senior Gleaner Writer THE ST Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), known for its athletic prowess, innovative curriculum, and academic excellence, has in its 61 years produced an abundance of accomplished Jamaicans. Locatedon theoutskirts of SantaCruz, the late former Jamaica Football Federation President Captain Horace Burrell, former West Indies fast bowler-turned-politician Darren Powell, and leading academician Professor AlvinWint have all graced the halls of this noble institution. In 1958, the Santa Cruz Citizens’ Association initiated the idea to start the school. After various representations were made to the Ministry of Education and Kaiser Bauxite Company, these institutions soon realised the importance of a technical school, and so the latter donated 137 acresof landandagrant of ten thousandpounds fromthe educationministry to start theproject. In October 1961, the doors of St Elizabeth Technical High School were opened to approximately 110 students. “It was one of the three schools of higher learningat that level in theparish, withHampton School andMunroCollegebeing theother two. During that time, attending high school was consideredaprivilege, and therewere somany more students that wanted to learn,”said Keith Wellington, current principal at STETHS. Since its inception, the school hasbecomeone of themost outstanding secondary institutions in Jamaica. Its growth has been overseen by sevenprincipals, and the school populationhas grown to 1,750 students. “Our programmes have diversified over the years, and the school has grown and is now modernised, so that our students can continue tomake significant contributions to Jamaica. Our excellence has manifested itself in the number of outstanding students that have graced our campus. Our graduates include university professors, educators, entrepreneurs, medical doctors, sportsmen and women, entertainers, politicians, and many other nation-builders,” Wellington said. Wellington, who started his sojourn at the institution in 2008, said their curriculum has expanded to include the traditional grammar subjects, along with the technical areas. Some of the technical areas include welding, auto mechanic, foodpreparation, agriculture science, cosmetology, clothing and textiles, and more recently, animation and software “The school has gone through different phases, and has been consistent in terms of quality andperformance, especiallyover the last 10 years. Over that timeperiod, wehave seenan increaseof up to80per cent inour CSECpasses, andup to90percent inour CAPEperformance,” he said. With the facility being established by the community for the community, Wellington is envisioning that the school will continue to morph into an institution that offers education not just to its student body, but also to people in the wider community. “Wewant topositionourselvesasapolytechnic institution, wherewe canoffer courses fromThe University of the West Indies, for example. We are already an accredited training institution with the HEART/NSTATrust, andwewill ensure that we continue to provide opportunities for our students to learn. Wellington continues to see STETHS as belonging to thewider St Elizabethcommunity, who view the school as their own and are willingly buying into the various strategies beingemployed to keep the institutionvibrant, successful and appealing. Some of the achievements of the institution include having won the Headley Cup cricket trophy for 11 consecutive years, between 1979 and 1989, andwinning 27 other titles between 1979 to present. They arealso theonly school tohavebeen the national schoolboy champions in both cricket and football in the same year, that of 1999- 2000. They were also chosen as one of the top five schools to represent Jamaica for Junior Achievers inMexico for the 2017-2018 academic year. Additionally, they were placed first for block making and third for food preparation at the WorldSkills competition. keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com STETHS: A tradition of excellence Keisha Hill/Senior Gleaner Writer WOULDN’ T IT be a momentous occasion to celebrate your birthday, alongside that of the country of your birth? Well, for educator Joy Keane of Potsdam in St Elizabeth, for 75 years she has had the pleasure of celebrating thiswonderfulmilestone. Keane was 16 years old when Jamaica became an independent nation, and it was an absolute joy for her, as she also prepared to celebrate her birthdayonAugust 6. “Therewas abig celebration at the Rose Hall Primary School, and I was dressed differently. I wore a thimble heel shoes, what you call spike heel now, and a hobble dress with a four-inch band around thewaist. I was so excited,” she said. The last of 13 children, Keane, then Simpson, lived in Heathfield district in St Elizabeth. A very quiet farming community, most of the people were either farmers or teachers, whileothers left the community for abetterway of life. After her marriage, she relocated some six miles away to Potsdam, which she continues to call her home. “Itwas a veryhumble community, but most of thepersons have alreadypassed on or have gone. Most persons, at the time, inheritedslave lands for themselves, andmygrandfather’s propertyhas been passed on from generation to generation,” Keane said. An avid churchgoer herself, all her family she said attended the St Mary’s Anglican Church, which recently celebrated 175 years. In her early years, Keane attended the Rose Hall Primary School, then the BethlehemMoravian College inMalvern, home to some of Jamaica’s top faculty, students, alumni and staff. Her professional career started at Bethlehem All-Age School, and then shebecameprincipal of theMorningside PrimarySchool.Withover 50years in theeducation system in St Elizabeth, Keane is now a board member at Munro College, located in the Potsdam community. “From ever since, I have loved children dearly. I have done everythingpossible to assist children and students, especially with their education. I have done fundraisers, and have even taken some of these children into my home and gave them an opportunity to complete their education,”Keane said. “Many of these children have never forgottenme, and they are doing exceptionally well, somuch so that those that I have helped are now helping other students that are in need,”she added. Keane iswell known in and aroundher community for her philanthropic efforts, andeven though shehas retired from the classroom, she continues to give back. For her unwaveringsupport toeducationandher community, she has receivednumerous awards, including several national decorations, one being the nation’s highest honours, the Order of Distinction, Commander class. “We are a great nation, andwemust continue to uplift and educate our citizens. Our young people can achieve so much, if they would only learn that success does not comeovernight.Theymust understand that theyhave to work forwhat theywant, and this takes time,”Keane said. keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com jamaica at Joy Keane remembers Independence celebrations ‘WE ARE A GREAT NATION’ ‘We must continue to uplift and educate our citizens. Our young people can achieve so much, if they would only learn that success does not come overnight. They must understand that they have to work for what they want, and this takes time.’ JoyKeane, whowas bornonAugust 6, 1946, remembers the Independence celebrations in 1962. CONTRIBUTED JAMAICA AT 60: ST ELIZABETH
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