Welcome to Sydney Pagon
ON NOVEMBER 3, 2017, the Youthlink team made a number of stops in St Elizabeth to learn more about the different schools within certain parts of the parish and to identify unique aspects of each. One of the schools visited was Sydney Pagon STEM Academy.
The Sydney Pagon STEM Academy, formerly Sydney Pagon Agricultural High, and initially Elim Agricultural School, came into being as a result of the Jamaica Education Sector Survey which was carried out in 1973. A report from the survey stated that the education system was entrusted with the job of awakening and guiding the interest of some of its students towards an agricultural career. A joint USAID/ Government of Jamaica effort started in 1976 with the identification of lands for a school,
and subsequently building programmes were launched between 1978 and 1979. The school admitted its first batch of students in February of 1979.
The late Sydney Ralph Pagon, a member of parliament for North East St Elizabeth, was very instrumental in the construction of the school, hence it was named in his honour. In September 2014, the institution was upgraded to a STEM Academy and admitted its first population of grade-seven students from the Grade-Six Achievement Test placement. The school is currently geared towards providing extensive training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
As is the case with all school tours, our team got the opportunity to interact with some members of staff as well as with a number of students, who were quick to highlight what makes their school unique. A most memorable time was spent visiting their farms on the compound and getting details about the produce and animals. They have much to boast about, considering that some of their crops are being sold in local wholesales and supermarkets because of their good quality.
With discipline being at a moderate level and a family-type relationship existing between staff and students, the only major issue facing the school involves a lack of infrastructure when certain classes should be conducted, and the school is aggressively tackling this.