ocational Education especially farming is an essential part of the policy and ethos of Charterhouse. The school is now in the process of establishing a structured unit for Agricultural Science to be housed on a ten-acre farm.
Agricultural Science is compulsory at Charterhouse, because the school administration believes that as an agriculturally based society, it is essential to provide students with a future base for employment. We are the only High School on the island with a school farm ( excluding of course the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College) .
This new development will provide students with a knowledge of the cultivation of crops, rearing of livestock etc. and includes a component which teaches general farm management. Our aim is to instill in the minds of students that technical knowledge is an essential element of farming.
PRODUCTIVE RESOURCES
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t. Lucia is in dire need of productive agriculture to conserve our land, labour and capital. The recognition of this has led us to develop forward this productive resource as part of our learning base. In using this resource we will be guided by certain objectives:
Today the aim is to earn profits. Profit is the difference between the value of production and its cost. Bearing this in mind students will be taught that farming should be seen as a business. In addition students will be encouraged to see that farming has two sides. The first is the long-term planning for the use of resources and the other is the day-to-day management, both of which are essential if farms are to remain viable.
In short the basic principles of farming as a business and methods of record-keeping and preparation of farm plans will be an integral part of this element of the curriculum. Students will be encouraged to look at quality, price and production costs. The curriculum will contain structures for improved farm layout, management of soils, conservation and crops, management of livestock, farm records and accounts, crop record, farm planning and budgeting, etc.
ASSESSMENT
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he assessment of students undertaking farming programmes will be carried out on a continuous basis. This will be periodically monitored by Charterhouse and external assesors. The assessment will consist of three elements:
he advantage of Charterhouse's Secondary Education curriculum is clear. This is because it offers all pupils, regardless of their background, a second educational base. The Curriculum will be regularly modified to meet the needs of both parents and the commercial sector. Career advice for all pupils is provided to enable them to make the right selection for the future.
