Alston High School is located in the district of Alston, Northwest Clarendon. The school was built to accommodate approximately six hundred students. Its number at the moment exceeds this by far. The school plant is in need of expansion. Many of the building are in need of repair.

 

There are three blocks that house the classrooms the laboratories ( Science and Computer), The Home Economics Department, Technical Vocational Workshops, an Assembly Hall which is divided and used as classrooms, a library, a tuck shop and a recently constructed dining area. On the compound there are three teachers’ flatlettes which are currently used as (1) Sick Bay (2) Guidance & Counseling Room (3) utilized by the coordinators of the Path and Work Experience programmes. There is a Principal’s cottage now in ruins after being damaged by a hurricane several years ago. There is also a multipurpose sports facility constructed by the Sports Development Foundation and a playing field in need of major rehabilitation.

 

Approximately 750 students attend the school of which 65% are boys. Since the start of this year we have an average daily attendance of over six hundred students.

 

There are thirty two trained teachers some of whom have their first degree and a minority their second degree. There is a Principal, Vice Principal, Dean of Discipline and a Guidance Counsellor. The pupil teacher ratio is one to twenty-five.

 

Alston High School is a great asset in the community of Alston. It adds to the development of the community in that it provides after school programmes that cater to the upward social mobility of community members. The school’s facility is available for use on request by the community. The support to the school by the community is minimal. The school is located in a poor farming community with many adults falling in the low income earning bracket. Goods and services are provided by the private and business sector in and around the community. Contributions made at times are free but for the most part goods and services supplied and rendered have to be paid for.

 

Co-curricular and cultural activities are very important in our school. Our DaCosta Cup Team is currently playing in the 2014 football competition. As mentioned in the introduction our students are involved in a range of co-curricular and cultural activities.

 

There is a Parents Teachers Association (P.T.A.) in place however it continues to be inactive in terms of the parents playing a more active role in being involved in the school. General P.T.A. meetings are held once every term with the grade P.T.A. being held at various times during the school year.

 

We are a technologically driven school. There is an E-Learning laboratory provided by E-Learning Jamaica. The school also boasts a computer laboratory, and a reading room. Available resources are used to aid teaching and learning with tremendous success being observed.