KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information will be investing $15 million to establish a smart greenhouse laboratory at Thompson Town High School in Clarendon during the 2027/28 academic year.

This was announced by Permanent Secretary, Dr Kasan Troupe, during her address at the institution’s school-leaving ceremony on Tuesday.

For the upcoming academic year, Dr Troupe announced that the school will receive a special grant of $6 million, along with a $1.5-million increase in its operational grant and an additional $1 million to support its industrial lab.

The permanent secretary also pledged to donate a 60-inch television to the institution from her personal funds.

“I have seen your principal’s passion, and as the permanent secretary, it is my responsibility to support that journey… because the students here, they deserve it. They have made the sacrifice. They have worked hard, and today we celebrate them in this transitioning exercise,” she affirmed.

Drawing on her own life and accomplishments, Dr Troupe encouraged the graduates to work diligently in pursuit of success, reminding them that their starting point does not determine their destination.

The permanent secretary shared that, as a young student, she did not pass the common entrance high-school placement examination.

“I did not see my name in the paper… . I had that experience. But I am here to testify that it’s not about where you have started; it’s where you are going, and it’s also about what you do with the experience that you have got. You blossom, you bloom where you are planted,” Dr Troupe said.

She noted that she attended Trench Town Comprehensive High School in Kingston, which, like Thompson Town High, was not regarded as one of the island’s top schools.

“But that didn’t stop my journey of excellence, and ought not to stop the journey for your boys and your girls,” Dr Troupe told parents.

She noted that after leaving Trench Town High, she went on to attend The Mico University College and later the University of the West Indies, graduating at the top of her class with First Class Honours at each institution.

“Today, I am the permanent secretary in the largest ministry in the government. This is the highest job in the public service in my country. So for that little girl from a school like Thompson Town… it can be done,” Dr Troupe affirmed.

She urged the graduates to reject excuses and adopt a mindset of intentional excellence, emphasising that hard work and success are inseparably linked.

“Excellence and hard work are very good friends; you will not see one without the other. So if you want that intentional success, you must embrace hard work,” the permanent secretary maintained.

She emphasised that the Government has established mechanisms such as the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB) to support students in achieving academic excellence.

“[The ministry also] provides scholarships for young people every single year. All they have to do is to go on the website and apply. There are opportunities,” Dr Troupe added.

—   JIS