STETHS hopes greenhouse tech will return it to “glory days’
The administration of St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) in Santa Cruz is using greenhouse technology to teach agricultural science and to combat praedial larceny at the institution.
Principal Keith Wellington reported that with greenhouse technology, the hope is that STETHS can return to its glory days of being one of the top educational institutions that have agriculture as a major focus.
Wellington said STETHS is formerly one of the top producers of chicken meat and other agricultural produce, but it has suffered over the years at the hands of praedial larcenists.
He said greenhouse technology will ensure that production of crops returns in a big way, while students will continue to be involved in the vocation.
“What we have been trying to do in recent times is to focus on agriculture using technology. We have a greenhouse in place that we use to teach our students and we use smaller plots for tutorial purposes,” he said.
Wellington pointed out that while STETHS has access to a wide expanse of land, it is open to the community and argued that if the property can be securely fenced, it would boost both livestock and crop production.
STETHS has a student population of 1,780 and an academic staff of 96. In 2016, it became the first school to cop both the Principal and Teacher of the Year awards in the same year.