KTHS Then and Now
TRAINING AND CHARACTER
Established in 1896, Kingston Technical High was the first technical school in Jamaica, and as such, introduced curricula that represented alternative educational directions to the traditional academic programs of study in the high schools. The campus formerly hosted the Mico Teachers’ College (now Mico University) and pioneers of the University of Technology, formerly the College of Arts, Science and Technology had their start at the school. The school is located on two campuses on Hanover Street, Kingston, which is a low socio-economic environment where some parents are unemployed or menially occupied, and serves students from within and the surrounding area.
KTHS Today
The school’ year got off to a great start with a provisional principal as the current principal, Mr. Earnest Donaldson proceeded on pre-retirement leave which ends on April 31, 2020. As a school, we continue to live up to our motto of “Training and Character”. For over a hundred years Kingston Technical High School has served the nation as one of the leaders in technical education.
Apart from being an excellent institution the school has produced some of the nation’s best academics, entertainers, sports men and women. Some of the alumni include Headley Brown, former Governor of the Bank of Jamaica (Nov. 1985 – March 1989), Jimmy Cliff, actor and singer and George Rhoden Olympian (Helsinki, Finland 1952).
This academic year (2019-2020) our noble institution marks its 124th anniversary in January, 2020. Our vision as a school has not change from the original purpose of the school which is to equip Jamaicans with an education which produce students with skillsets that are needed for the job market(locally/globally) now and in the future. We still remain the school of choice for an alternative approach to education and an institution that is constantly re-imaging education. We are gradually moving away from the traditional approach to education.
State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Alando Terrelonge on Tuesday, February 3, , 2020 teaching a Spanish class made up of top performing CSEC and CAPE students.
Our aim is to ensure that our children are equipped with multiple certifications upon graduation that each student can use to create a job for him or herself and others. Thus, we seek to ensure that each child leaves this institution with two or more certifications in NCTVET, City and Guild, CVQ, NVQ as well as five or more CXC CSEC and CAPE subjects. We envision our institution becoming a premier certification centre. We intend to twin our school with its historical cousins, the Mico University College and University of Technology (UTech). KTHS exists for the community and as such we are reaching out to the immediate communities through the churches, and the businesses. The school intends to partner with the community through various programs and initiatives such as health fair, homework centre, certification centre, and an apprenticeship program.
STUDENT ENROLLMENT: As at Oct. 1, 2019 the School’s population is 1231 students.
Average class size: 38
Pupil-Teacher Ratio: 26:1
Number of teachers: 58