Nuttall's Contribution to Education: Part 1
The Mico Directors, 1913
Jamaica High School (now Jamaica College)
The Mannings School, Westmoreland
Shortwood Teacher's College, Kingston
- Nuttall was appointed in 1881 as a member of the board of the Jamaica Schools Commission and became Chairman of the board in 1883 until his death in 1916. As Chairman of the Jamaica Schools Commission, Nuttall was instrumental in the management of a large part of the secondary school system and other government reformatories and industrial schools. The secondary schools that were under the direct supervision of the Jamaica Schools Commission were: The Jamaica High School, which eventually became Jamaica College, Titchfield School, Wolmers School, Ruseas School, Drax’s Free School, Mannings School, Munro and Dickenson’s School, Beckford and Smith’s School, Manchester School and Vere School.
- Nuttall was an advocate of combining agricultural and handicraft training with literary education as opposed to one or the other.
- He said that there should be the 4 Rs in Education (Reading, ‘Riting, ‘Rithmetic and Religious Education) instead of the usual 3.
- Nuttall’s first major contribution to education came with the establishment of a new school room for the St. George’s School that was attached to the St. George’s Church.
- During his early years at St. George’s Church he was a member of the Board of Visitors at the Mico training institution, which trained only men at the time, and he was also significantly involved in the running of the Beckford and Smith’s school (Now St. Jago) in Spanish town.
- He played an important role in assisting the transition of the Board of Visitors at the Mico institution to the Board of Directors in 1882 with him being the first Chairman for the next 34 years until his death. At Mico he was responsible for the opening of the new Mico College on February 5, 1896. He was also responsible for repairing the buildings of the new Mico following their destruction as a result of the Kingston earthquake in 1907 and a fire that destroyed some sections of the building shortly after.
- Nuttall was also a member of the Board of Visitors at the Female Training College which eventually became the Shortwood Training College in 1885. In 1899 when the Board of Visitors for Shortwood became the Board of Directors Nuttall served as Chairman of the board until his death in 1916.