Black River High School (Black River, Jamaica)
History
A privately-operated high school was first established in Black River in September 1941. It was advertised as having preparatory, secondary, and commercial departments, boarding facilities, and its own swimming pool. The school was based at Waterloo House in Black River, a former hotel, and was led by Lynette Stewart, the wife of Waterloo's owner, Ferdinand Stewart. The school operated until the early 1960s. After the school closed, Waterloo became a guest house again. Joyce Robinson, who later in her career became a noted librarian, taught at the school from 1944 to 1949.
Black River Junior Secondary School was opened in September 1970 as a result of a World Bank-funded educational project, and was built on lands belonging to the Church of England. $86,393 Jamaican dollars were originally allotted for its development. The school was officially opened on 12 May 1971 by Edwin Allen, the Minister of Education, who declared that "bright children must be taught by bright teachers" and advocated for the development of teacher education in Jamaica.
The Black River High School is situated about half a mile from the town of Black River. The Anglican Church in Black River acquired 12 acres of land through loans and grants. The Francis' family donated 4 acres making a total of 16 acres on which the government built the Black River High School.
The Junior Secondary school was opened in September 1970 to house 655 students on a straight shift from grades 7–9.
In 1974, the school was put on a two shift system since grades 10 and 11 were added. The word "Junior" was dropped from the name of the school.
In September 1998, Mr. J Beckford introduced the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE). The subjects initially offered were Caribbean Studies, History, Mathematics and Statistics. Today the subjects offered have increased to include (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Environmental Science), Sociology, Literature in English, Management of Business, Pure Mathematics, and Law and Economics, among others.
The school offers a range of extra curricular activities. In 2009, they were winners of the TVJ's All Together Sing competition for high school choirs in Jamaica after entering for the first time. They have received numerous gold, silver, and bronze medals for participating in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) competition on a yearly basis.
Notable alumni
- Keith Gardner, athlete
- George-Levi Gayle, professor of economics at Washington University in St. Louis
References
- ^ "Black River High | National Council on Education".
- ^ "Black River High | National Council on Education".
- ^ "Black River High School - Opens". The Daily Gleaner. 9 August 1941. p. 20.
- ^ "Waterloo Guest House". Jamaica Travel and Culture.com. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ^ "Waterloo Guest House History". Waterloo Guest House. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ^ Marriott, Louis (23 May 2013). "Joyce Robinson: institution builder". The Gleaner. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ^ "Appraisal of Education Project Jamaica" (PDF). World Bank. Annex 11. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ Allen, E. L. (15 March 1971). "The Westwood affair". The Daily Gleaner. p. 20.
- ^ "Allen Condemns 'Convoy System' In Schools". The Daily Gleaner. 15 May 1971. p. 21.
- ^ "The importance of youth in our sports training programmes". The Daily Gleaner. 27 February 1965. p. 4.
- ^ "Pittsburgh University lauds UWI postgraduate". The Daily Gleaner. 1 June 1998. p. 23.