MANDEVILLE, Manchester — The more than 80 steps leading from one section of deCarteret College to the next, called ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ hold unique memories for, past students of different eras.

Students in the 1970s, such as Turhan Sinclair, alumni representative on the school board, knew when it was in use as a covered walkway from the school grounds to the then boarding quarters.

Over time, it became off limits to students. The old boarding house now stands in disrepair, but is a reminder of a rich history.

deCarteret College was founded on January 19, 1919 as an outreach of the Anglican Church by the Right Reverend George Frederick Cecil deCarteret, who was originally from England.

It has transitioned from being a preparatory school, to an all-boys’ private institution, to a co-educational grant-aided secondary school today, going up to the sixth form level.

This year marks the 99th anniversary of the school. According to administrators, it is quite significant as it is leading up to the centenary and more changes are expected to take place as the school stays true to its motto ‘We are Building’.

“We are serving notice to all that deCarteret College is in a celebratory mode. It took vision, courage and perseverance for Bishop deCarteret to have braved the odds and defied consensus to establish a school at a time when education was a scarce commodity and not a priority for the majority,” said Acting Principal Angela Walker at the annual Founder’s Day Service at St Mark’s Anglican (Mandeville Parish Church) last Monday.

She said that in the 1970s when wider societal issues adversely affected private schools across the island, it was particularly challenging.

Following the service, there was a rededication of ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ which gave current and past students an opportunity to walk up the steps — some who graduated for more than a decade ago doing so for the very first time.

The event symbolised that the steps will be in use once more, as high on the agenda to usher in the centenary is the establishment of the Millard McLeod Sixth Form College.

McLeod, the late principal, served for 21 years, up to the time of his passing in May last year.

Walker told the Jamaica Observer that it was his idea to take the bold move to revive the sixth form programme in 2000 and it has grown from 26 to 305 students.

A sixth form reportedly first existed when the school was privately operated.

Walker said McLeod envisioned taking the sixth form dream further with the setting up of a Sixth Form College.

She explained that the college would still offer the subjects in the day school but would have an element which would be more flexible, possibly in the evening, that would be open to the community and enable students there to, among other things, resit subjects and pursue short courses.

Partnerships, Walker said, will likely be formed with bodies such as the HEART Trust/NTA and its tertiary arm the Vocational Training Development Institute.

The project is expected to take approximately $50 million to start.

“This 99th year we are working towards fund-raising. We want to break ground on the 100th,” said Walker.

She said that some support from the Government to tangibly honour McLeod’s contribution is anticipated.

Meantime, current students are tasked with a “bucket competition” that will require them to solicit donations in buckets to reach a target of $250,000 by year end.

For the alumni, the rededication of ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ was also a fund-raising initiative.

Past students can purchase plaques with their names and the years they attended the school embossed that will be placed along the wall or steps of the ladder.

The funds will be put towards the construction of the new building.

Walker, who has also served at deCarteret for many years, said that as they thought about how to best recognise McLeod, a suggestion was made to name an existing building in his honour, but they decided against it.

“We wanted to do something more,” she said.

In addressing the Founder’s Day service, Vice-Principal Marlon Britton said that having the Sixth Form College in place would be making the “zenith” of McLeod’s dream a reality.

St Mark’s Anglican Church rector and chairman of deCarteret College, the Reverend Barrington Soares, said that as plans are put in place to expand the infrastructure of the school they are also steadily working to continue to build the character of students.

Walker reinforced the point in her Founder’s Day message by encouraging the students to make the most of the “glorious opportunities” available to them in a way that reflects the mission and vision of the school.