History

In 1942, the Government Farm school was renamed the Jamaica School of Agriculture (JSA) and in 1957 relocated to Twickenham Park, Spanish Town. In 1968, over a half-century after its initial opening, the school accepted its first cohort of female students.  Today, a substantial amount of CASE’s population is female.

In 1981, a bill to repeal the JSA Act was presented to Parliament which saw the closure of the Jamaica School of Agriculture and preparation for the birth of a new institution began.

The College of Agriculture (COA), located at Passley Gardens Portland, was established as the replacement institution for the JSA. The College of Agriculture Scheme Order of 1981 gave birth to the new institution, which was mandated to execute teaching, research and extension programmes in agriculture subsequently went on to deliver the Post Certificate Program to teachers who desired to upgrade their qualifications to the Diploma in Education. The Early Childhood Education Programme was offered at the college as well.

The Passley Gardens Teachers’ College (PGTC) was established in 1981 to offer Teacher Training to individuals in Portland and its environs. The college initially offered the Diploma in Primary Education and late in 1994, the Diploma in Secondary Education with special emphasis on Science, Mathematics and Computer Studies.

In 1995, based on a recommendation of the Sherlock Report, the COA and PGTC merged to form the College of Agriculture Science and Education (CASE). Unlike its predecessor institutions which focused primarily on agriculture, CASE is a multidisciplinary institution offering professional training at the Diploma, Associate Degree and Bachelor’s Degree levels, in Agriculture, Natural Sciences, Environmental Management, Business Management, Hospitality and Tourism Management and Teacher Education. The College continues to improve its academic offerings to satisfy industry needs.