York Castle High Gifts Vehicle to Steer Town Academy to Drive Their Auto Maintenance Course
ST ANN’S BAY, St Ann; November 4, 2026
A commotion broke out at Steer Town Academy, St Ann, on Thursday, October 29, 2026. But it was all positive. A group of boys excitedly welcomed the arrival of a motor vehicle from York Castle High, in the same parish.
Schools in the same parish or Region are usually competitive and do not give each other gifts. So it was unusual for well-known, top-ranking York Castle High of Brown’s Town to gift Steer Town Academy, also of St Ann, a motor vehicle.
The boys at Steer Town, many of them students in a course on car maintenance, were ecstatic because they now had a practical automobile to help ride them through the course.
(Boys at Steer Town Academy ready to get their hands dirty)
York Castle High had had that course going for a while, available from grade 9 to 11.
Principal Raymon Treasure says it’s not just for the certification from an examination body, but also to give the students a life skill.
He says the course involves practical elements such as changing brakes removing wheels, changing fuses and lights and so on etc. And more complex tasks too.
(From our school to yours on a wrecker– a gift from York Castle High)
He told the North Coast Times, “They start at Grade 9. It’s not just for student who want to become mechanics. It gives students a life skill. We all aspire to drive vehicles so we should also learn to maintain the vehicle…that’s the aim.”
Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair is a subject assessed by City & Guilds examination body through which a diploma in motor vehicle systems is issued.
(Well equipped workshop, through innovation, at York Castle High.)
The need for the course at Steer Town Academy was even greater than at York Castle. According to Acting Principal Kelly Gaye Rowe.
The school, with more boys than girls, gets students performing on the lower (non-mastery) levels of the PEP, and many read below their grade level. To motivate them to learn and come to school regularly, a course like auto maintenance is a blessing, but it needs practical elements made possible with an actual vehicle. Steer Town couldn’t go forward as they just didn’t have a vehicle for the programme.
LINKS AND DONATION
The teacher for that course at York Castle, Ian Levy, a returned resident and former manager at German Automotive School has used his skills and connections in getting donations for the auto workshop and even in linking the programme with Jamaica Race Car Association which has race meets at nearby Dover. That programme is within the Industrial Technology Department headed by Derhone Campbell.
Regional Officer of the Ministry of Education Karlene Segre knew about the difficulties and disappointments faced at Steer Town in getting their programme on the road. Also, she knew that York Castle had a well-maintained workshop with four cars, including three – two Suzuki buses and a Mercedes-Benz donated by Stewart Auto Supplies.
Massive Auto in St Ann has donated engines.
Mr Treasure says York Castle could afford to donate one of the vehicles from their pool of four. And, when Ms Segre asked, they did donate it to Steer Town. Acting Principal at Steer Town, Ms. Rowe, said when she got the call Thursday, October 29, to send a wrecker right away to York Castle in Brown’s Town to get a vehicle, it was one of the sweetest sounds she had heard.
When the Suzuki mini bus arrived at Steer Town campus, near St Ann’s Bay, it was immediately, affectionately, named by the boys “The Beast”.
“I could scream because we are mainly a boys’ school now, 400 plus out of 650 [enrolled] are boys… plus the reading challenges…to try to keep them wanting to come to school and try to get them to leave schools, with some certification we are pushing the TVET,” Ms Rowe said. This would make it all more possible.
The TVET subjects already offered at the institution include plumbing, carpentry, electrical installation, food and beverage, housekeeping and barbering.
Ms Rowe said the TVET courses, encouraged less distraction, kept the students more in line with school routine; removed disciplinary issues such as bullying. She said the boys registered for automobile maintenance were already from September carrying overall and work clothes to get their hands dirty on a vehicle. There are also a few girls enrolled in the classes. But without a vehicle, enthusiasm was sputtering.
LINK TO GREATER SKILL LEVEL
She said the Automotive Maintenance and Repair course has been running since September for grades 10 and 12. She said City & Guilds has an assessment protocol to get the practical done and assess the portfolio of students kept by the teacher (Dalwin Campbell), as the basis for issuing a Skills Proficiency Award that can be used to get students into HEART/NSTA entry level.
Ms Segre, who pulled it together, told the North Coast Times, “This is an excellent example of partnership between schools as Principal Raymon Treasure and Acting Principal Kelly Gaye Rowe at Steer Town [Academy] join in partnership and share best practices in education for students’ learning, empowerment and skill sets development.”
She said the Ministry of Education welcomed such partnerships and cooperation. She lauded the efforts, saying the automotive programme supports all students in general so they can be marketable and be exposed to viable fields that will enable them to earn a living after high school, especially if they do not pursue formal tertiary education.”
WATCH, AS BOYS EAGER TO LEARN WELCOME A TOOL:
XXX
