Nine of the 12 retired principals and vice-principals who were honoured by the Association of Principals and Vice-Principals pose for the camera with their awards. Seated (from left) are Vantryce Dorman, Valrie Stephens, Norma Sinclair and Pearl Harrison. Standing (from left) are Stanley Skeene, Cecil Peters, Joan Wint, Heather Ebanks and Jennifer Manasey. - Photo by George Henry

LUCEA, Hanover:

Twelve retired principals and vice-principals, who have served the island's education system for an accumulated 425 years, were recently honoured for their contribution to education at an awards ceremony put on by the Association of Principals and Vice-Principals at the Grand Palladium Hotel in Lucea, Hanover.

The 12 are Vantryce Dorman, Valrie Stevens, Norma Sinclair, Pearl Harrison, Jennifer Manasey, Heather Ebanks, Joan Wint, Cecil Peters, Stanley Skeene, Delcy Williams, Dr Victoria Gordon and Austin Daley. They were feted by the association and had accolades heaped on them, as well as interesting citations read.

Trailblazers

In bringing greetings from the Ministry of Education, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Education Alphansus Davis commended the retired school administrators for their unselfish and unwavering service to the nation's education system.

Davis hailed the teachers as trailblazers in the education sector and noted that they all should be happy about the contributions they have made to the thousands of lives they have helped to mould before reaching their retirement.

Jamaica Teachers Association President Michael Stewart, in his greetings, congratulated the retired teachers for what he described as their "magnanimous" contribution to education and hailed them as "transformational leaders par excellence". Stewart said the education system would be poorer for their departure from the classroom.