Munro College

Munro College is a boarding school for boys in St Elizabeth, Jamaica. It was founded in 1856 as the Potsdam School (named for the city of Potsdam), a free school for poor boys in St. Elizabeth as stipulated in the will of plantation owners Robert Hugh Munro and Caleb Dickenson. It was renamed Munro College during World War I as part of the general rejection of German names at the time, though the surrounding Potsdam district was not also renamed.

Munro College
Address
Munro College
Potsdam, Munro College P.O. St. Elizabeth Jamaica

St Elizabeth

Jamaica

Jamaica
Coordinates17.924°N 77.686°W / 17.924; -77.686
Information
MottoIn Arce Sitam Quis Occultabit
(A City Set Upon A Hill Cannot Be Hid)
Founded1856
Sister schoolHampton School (for girls)
ChairmanMr. Elias Azan
HeadmasterMr. Mark Smith
ChaplainRev. Olando Gayle
GenderMale
Age11 to 19
Enrollment1032
Average class size35 students
Colour(s)Navy blue      Gold     
SongBless O Lord Our Alma Mater
Websitehttp://munrocollege.edu.jm/

Munro College takes its name from one of its benefactors and was established in the fashion of the British public school. Several of the boarding houses take the names of other benefactors or illustrious alumni. The campus has its own chapel and magnificent views of the Caribbean sea and Pedro Plains from its perch atop the peak of the Santa Cruz Mountain.[1]

Over the years Munro College has distinguished itself as a centre for excellence in secondary education in Jamaica and the Caribbean. It is reputed to have produced the most Rhode Scholars of any secondary school in the Caribbean. The most recent Rhodes Scholar from Munro College is Vincent Taylor (Jamaica and Magdalen 2013).[1] Munro College is currently the only all-boys boarding school in Jamaica.

Sixth form

Although established as a free school for poor boys, Munro used to admit Hampton girls into its 6th Form programme, but as of the new term of September 2010 this was discontinued, along with the classes previously offered at Hampton School. Munro College now has a shared campus with Hampton School where both set of sixth formers learn the arts in a cool, learning-inducing environment with quality teachers.

Hampton Boarding School (Jamaica) was founded as a sister school to Munro College for girls in the area of Saint Elizabeth.

Motto

The school's motto is In arce sitam quis occultabit — A city set upon a hill cannot be hid.[2]

Notable alumni

Alumni include many prominent figures in Jamaican society; one of its most notable is former Prime Minister Donald Sangster, others include Kenneth McNeill, Oraine Barrett, Morris Cargill, John Cyril Emerson Swaby and Douglas Manley, brother to former Prime Minister Michael Manley. Basil Waite, Former Opposition Spokesperson on Education is also a graduate of Munro College as is popular journalist Lindy Delapenha, Ruel Reid; current minister of education, Principal of Jamaica College, past head boy and former JTA President, The Honourable Burchell Whiteman, O.J., and Dr Derrick McKoy, lawyer and former Contractor-General. Judge Ira DeCordova Rowe. Current Minister of State of Education Floyd Green; Oje Ken Ollivierre, popularly known as Protoje, is a contemporary reggae singer and songwriter from Jamaica.

Historic buildings

Four of Munro's buildings have been declared National Heritage Sites by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust:[3][4]

  • Coke Farquharson Dining Room
  • The Chapel
  • Pearman Calder Building
  • The Staff Room
  • Baby Dorm

Other notable buildings on the campus includes:

  • Harrison Memorial Library
  • Biology Laboratory
  • The Old Observatory
  • Hospital Building
  • Headmaster's House and Study
  • Old Armoury Building
  • Mr. Harle's House (now Guidance Counselor Office)
  • Bell Tower
  • Richard B.Roper Auditorium
  • Munro College Post Office
  • In general the entire Munro College Campus

Munro College was the first high school in the English-speaking Caribbean to have a grid-connected wind turbine energy source. The 225 kilowatt generator was commissioned in 1996, making Munro College a pioneer leader in renewable energy sources in the Caribbean.

References
  1. http://www.munrocollege.edu.jm
  2. Jamaica Observer Archived 2008-10-24 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Jamaica National Heritage Trust - List of Declared Sites & Monuments". JNHT. 2005. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
  4. "Jamaica National Heritage Trust - Munro College Buildings". JNHT. 2005. Archived from the original on 2009-09-08. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
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