Call for a name change at William Knibb High School
Published:Thursday | January 23, 2025 | 12:13 AMLeon Jackson/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
Reverend Karl Johnson, pastor of the Phillipo Baptist Church in Spanish Town, St Catherine, is proposing that the William Knibb High School in Trelawny be renamed in honour of its founder, the late Reverend Stephen James.
James, who, like Knibb and Johnson served as a pastor in the Baptist Church, was instrumental in the school being named after Knibb, an English minister and missionary, who, it is said, was instrumental in the abolition of slavery when it was founded in 1961.
“I am not expressing a degree of uncomfortableness in the name the school now bears, but I believe that the legacy of Stephen James deserves the high honour of the naming of the school after him,” said Johnson, who outlined his position during a recent Founder’s Day event at the institution.
“Here was a man who, on recognising the non-existence of high-school space for boys in Trelawny, worked towards establishing one. He fought obstacles of land acquisition, among other things, from 1954 to 1961 when the school was founded,” said Johnson. “He was dedicated to the school, and even on his sick bed in 1963, he invited a young university graduate, Arthur Edgar, to become the third principal. He was courageous and determined.”
Johnson’s recommendation has attracted mixed views from past students, with the old alumni, especially from the batch of 1961, strident in their opposition to the name change.
“Absolutely no way!” said Elaine Stewart, a foundation student. “Why after 64 years should we want to change the name? I am proud to say I went to the William Knibb High School. I recognise the tremendous contribution of Stephen James, but he never thought to name it after himself, so why now should we change its name?”
Roland Haye, one of several past students, who went back to teach at the school, said he is in full support of the name change.
“I am 100 per cent in favour of the name change. James was a man for the people. He was not pompous. He suffered from too much humility, hence not naming the school after himself. He believed in the development of people through educating them,” said Haye.
“That exemplified his dedication to establish a school not only for boys but also for girls. This was a man who thought and dreamed about filling a void left by the powers that had the decision-making capacity to do it but didn’t,” added Haye, who further noted that James recognised that you can’t develop a people without educating them.
Gary Knowles, an executive member of the school’s alumni, said both Knibb and James are being honoured by the existing situation, so no name change is needed.
“We honour Stephen James’ legacy by keeping the school in the name he conceptualised and named it. For me, legacy is not the tangible things we leave behind for people but the values and principles you live by, and that can be attributed to Stephen James.
“I can tell you that that proposal is going to get a huge fight from the alumni. They are not going to support it.”
Adrian Frater, who was among the first batch of students when the school transitioned from a private school to a government institution in 1974, believes in the name change, though not from Knibb to James but instead from Knibb to Usain Bolt, the school’s most illustrious son.
“I believe a school is about educating and inspiring students, and based on Usain Bolt’s unmatched global recognition as the greatest track and field athlete of all time, I can’t think of a greater source of inspiration,” said Frater. “Additionally, Bolt’s name will be embedded in our history forever and will always be seen as a symbol of success and high achievements ... . Both Knibb and James cannot be erased from the history of the school, but Bolt symbolises what every parent wants for their children: a success story.”