Cornwall College is a public high school for boys established in 1896 and located on Orange Street in Montego Bay, Saint James, Jamaica. It is the third oldest high school in the county of Cornwall. As of the 2018–19 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,317 students and 73 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 19:1.
History
1841–1895
The school in St. James dates to the 19th century, when secondary education was greatly needed in the parish and George Millar, a teacher from Scotland, opened the Montego Bay Academy in 1841. In 1952, the academy was moved to the Presbyterian House, which was at the time located at 56 Union Street. In 1871 the academy closed its doors when representatives from Scotland encouraged the government of Jamaica to establish a Queen's College in Spanish Town. This institution also did not last long and again government-sponsored secondary education was lacking in the country. In 1895, a Presbyterian minister, Rev. Adam Thomson, and a government representative for St. James and Trelawny, Hon. John Kerr, petitioned the government to allocate 500 pounds for secondary education in Montego Bay.
1896–1921
Thus, in 1896, Cornwall College was born. The school was at that time located on Barracks Road (site of the Public Works Office) and was called Montego Bay Government Secondary School.
Mr. E. Lockett, B.A., was named the first headmaster and he served until 1903. He was succeeded by Anglican priest, Rev. George Hibbert Leader in 1904. Leader served some 19 years at the helm of the institution which ran into difficulties due to the rapid growth of the student body and the resulting lack of classroom space. It was then that in 1909 the Hon. D. A. Corinaldi stepped in and used his considerable influence and status to procure 2,500 pounds from the government to assist in the establishment of a new school site.
Between 1910 and 1911, 34 acres of land were bought at the Pleasant Hill Estate where the institution was constructed. The school was officially opened at its new location in 1911 by the then Governor of Jamaica, Sir Sidney Olivier.
1922 – present
In 1922, Montego Bay Government Secondary School was renamed Cornwall College after Cornwall County, Jamaica in which it is located. In 1953, Cornwall College came under the leadership of Mr. E.A. Barrett, the school's first Jamaican-born headmaster. Under Barrett's leadership, the school's population grew to over 650 boys. During his tenure, the institution was named the first government school in Jamaica and also the first high school in the West Indies to offer Chemistry and Physics as subjects in its curriculum, and for many years the majority of doctors and pharmacists in Jamaica were graduates of the school .
Cornwall College now houses some 52 classrooms and 1,245 students. Former principal, Dr. Lennox Rowe, took office from acting principal Vinette Virgo in 2016. He left the institution in 2017, upper school vice principal, Mrs. Lecia Allen took the role of acting principal. On 8 May 2018, Mr. Michael Ellis, former principal of Green Pond High School for 13 years, took office from acting principal Lecia Allen. The buildings are very colourful, sporting the school colours of red and gold.
Many well-known figures have passed through the gates of Cornwall College including Speaker of the House of Representatives: Hon. Headley Cunningham; Chief Justices Sir Rowland Phillips, Sir Herbert Duffus and Kenneth Smith; Members of Parliament: Dr. Horace Chang, Dr. Kenneth Baugh, Dr. Karl Blythe, Arthur Nelson, Lloyd B. Smith (Editor of the Western Mirror) and the late Patrick Rosegreen; Ambassador Derrick Heaven; the late Dr. Garth Taylor; the late Walt Crooks, owner of Club Inferno Resort; William "Billy" Craig, former Custos Rotulorum of St. James; Montego Bay businessman Carlton Chin; American businessman Vincent HoSang; Physics professors Dr. H. Vernon Wong and Dr. Paul M. Shand; Chemistry professor Dr. Vernon G. S. Box.
Enrollment of girls
Cornwall College no longer enrolls female students in their Sixth Form programme as of 2015–2016. The programme began at the start of the academic year 2013–2014, 117 years after the school's establishment as an all-male institution. It ended as mentioned earlier in the academic year of 2015–2016. The programme has reverted to its original state of being unisex.