Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) President Lenworth Fulton is demanding answers over what he terms the “occupation” of parts of the grounds of Knockalva Polytechnic College in Ramble, Hanover — formerly Knockalva Agricultural School — by the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).

According to Fulton, while there might be some good in the involvement of the JDF in the offerings of the institution, more needs to be said about the partnership to the Knockalva Old Students’ Association and other stakeholders.

“The integration of the JDF into Knockalva’s premises amid the prevailing security concerns in Jamaica, particularly in the western parishes, poses challenges. While the strategic deployment of security forces is justified, the presence of the JDF threatens the educational integrity of the institution and risks its eventual decline,” Fulton contended.

“The school is under-populated; there are just about 50 students there and it has capacity for nearly 200. And so, the Knockalva board decided to go into a tripartite agreement with HEART, the Ministry of Education, and the Jamaica Defence Force, under which HEART has promised to invest $190 million in upgrading some of the facilities there and for the Jamaica Defence Force to train a cohort of students that would have the option of joining the army or going into other career paths,” Fulton told the Jamaica Observer on Monday.

He said the situation, which has caused concern amongst the school’s alum, is part of a worrying trend that must be halted.

“We have been losing agricultural institutions. The farm school we called the Jamaica School of Agriculture existed from 1910. In 1956 they were at Hope Gardens (St Andrew) and it was felt that Hope Gardens was more for residences for the rich and powerful and they didn’t want an agricultural institution there so they moved it from Hope Gardens to Twickenham Park. In 1982 they moved it from Twickenham Park to Passley Gardens under the name COA (College of Agriculture). Further down they again changed the name from COA to CASE (College of Agriculture, Science, and Education) by merging it with the Passley Gardens Teachers’ College,” Fulton contended.

“There is a lot of change which is diluting agriculture and with each change our imported food is going up and up. Agricultural offerings are being reduced,” the JAS president said further.

“Knockalva started in 1949, they converted it from an agricultural school into a polytechnic and now you are adding a military discipline. As an old farmer who graduated from the agricultural school I don’t like the trend and I think that the Jamaican public should have something to say about it. These institutions belong to us, the people, and if we don’t put the issue out there, the wider populace will not know. So let the debate rage on,” Fulton stated.

The Observer has sought responses from the Jamaica Defence Force and the Ministry of Education regarding the concern raised by Fulton.