Hydroponic farming at RC primary schools

Hydroponics, a method of growing plants without soil has been introduced at four Port of Spain primary schools: Our Lady of Laventille RC (OLL), Bethlehem Boys’ and Bethlehem Girls’, and Nelson Street Girls’ RC.

The children at OLL are “fascinated by the development of their patchoi” and enthusiastic about their produce grown. The seedlings are growing “beautifully”.

At the beginning of Term III (April 18–July 8) a site visit was done at OLL to see where the hydroponic system could be set up and what were the requirements.

In an interview on July 1, a school official said the school custodian was placed in charge and directed on how to set it up, mixing the solutions and electrical components, etc.

“This was passed on to the children because our class sizes are small, we selected students from Standards Two, Three and Four to be involved. They have been taught about checking the PH balance…and how to mix solutions to get it to the water to the right balance, temperature, and the right quality.”

The pupils learned how to install patchoi seedlings into the system correctly. Ochro and lettuce are other short-term crops to grow.

“The children are very excited…this morning we did not get to plant the seedlings yet. When I looked, they were there with the custodian, he was overseeing them, and they were at the system themselves busy moving around, putting the cups and seedling in,” the school official said.

The students are learning the importance of growing food and are “introduced to agriculture” as well as the possibility of growing it in another place besides soil.

One idea being considered by the school is to make the produce grown available for sale at the Laventille Devotions at Our Lady of Fatima RC held monthly from May to October.

“We can also encourage the children to come up to purchase some of the produce, so we get a little income for the school, and we show the children tangible benefits of agriculture.”

The Nelson Street Girls’ RC was happy for the introduction of the hydroponics, following the Pan in Schools programme last year, also an initiative of the Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM). “We were so pleased when they introduced this to us”, a school official said.

She said the hydroponic system was more advanced than previous ones in which a “soil-like medium” was used. “This one is totally water-based, it is utterly fascinating. I keep thinking this is the way of the future for our children. We keep talking about the earth depletion and the soil depletion, these children are poised on the brink of something that is magical and will impact them in such meaningful ways.”

The children were not aware of hydroponics, and this was the opportunity for them to learn. Implementation of the hydroponic method was done in conjunction with research assignments.

“That was their end-of-term project. Most of the classes had to do a little booklet then they were able to speak knowledgeably and at length about hydroponics,” the school official said.

All classes got involved in planting. The children of Standards Two to Five kept a journal chronicling the growth of their seedlings. Patchoi and lettuce were grown and in the new term kale and herbs used for “green seasoning” will be introduced.

The project also was a way of promoting food security. The school envisioned each child getting a grow bag with seedlings to grow patchoi and lettuce at home with their parents. “Just to get them in the habit of growing, seeing things grow, and understanding their connection to the land; that is something we are working on.”

Dr Roland Baptiste, advisor to the CEBM said the programme is being conducted over three terms.

The hydroponics agriculture initiative was developed from the Pan in Schools programme.

Baptiste, who spearheaded this collaboration with Massy All Stars said, “my presence in the schools has led me to consider additional interventions aimed at improving the educational experience of the children”.

Baptiste explained, “Agricultural science is included in the elementary school curriculum. It is challenging to offer this aspect of the curriculum in Port of Spain where there is little or no land space in which to teach practical agricultural techniques. Moreover, the children attending these schools typically have no exposure to agriculture.”

He saw teaching hydroponic agriculture as “the remedy”. Nelson Street Boys’ already has hydroponic system, so the other schools were targeted.

Baptiste said a generous donor assisted in the installation of the system. He thanked the Principal of St Anthony’s College, Maurice Innis, for recommending a competent technician for the installation. He added, “it was my observation of a system at urban St Anthony’s College that triggered the idea for me”.