Teachers recognized for their excellence in the profession

BASSETERRE St. Kitts, 1st November 2012 — On Tuesday 30th October, the walls of the Basseterre Wesley Methodist Church were set ablaze with sounds of praise and thanksgiving as the public gathered for the St. Kitts Teachers’ Union’s (SKTU) Inaugural Excellence in Teaching Awards Service to honour and award thirteen teachers whose culminated three hundred years legacy reflect meritorious service, diligence, commitment and excellence as well as two organizations that continue to support the union in its endeavours.

Excellence in Teaching Awards Recipients 2012

Awarded were:

Category One
Chamber of Industry and Commerce – For Continued Collaboration
SKNAAA – For continued Collaboration

Category Two
Ms. Olivia Johnson – Early Childhood Section
Mr. Sylvester Dore – Special Education
Ms. Bernadine Hanley – Primary Education
Mr. Stewart Rawlins – Primary Education
Mrs. Mary Heyliger-Richards – Primary Education
Mrs. Patricia Hodge – Private Primary Education

Category Three
Mr. Timothy Morton – Sports Education
Mr. Jedroy Percival – Secondary Education
Ms. Grace Warner – Secondary Education
Mr. Loughlin Tatem – The Arts
Mrs. Lavern Collins – Post Secondary Vocational
Ms. Kerinda Warner – Tertiary
Mr. Anthony Wiltshire – Leadership

Mrs. VIrgina Albert-Poyotte Education International’s Regional Coordinator

SKTU’s President Ron Collins

SKTU’s Excellence in Teaching Awards Service was conducted under the auspices of the Acting Governor General, Sir. Edmund Lawrence and Lady Lawrence. Mrs. Virginia Albert Poyette the Regional Coordinator of Education International and Mr. Nigel Carty the Minister of Education. Both officials brought congratulatory remarks to the union for its vision and the recipient for their awards. Also in attendance was Ms. Clarice Cotton, Chief Education Officer of the Ministry of Education.

When questioned about the purpose of this awards ceremony, President Ron Dublin-Collins explained that “we live in a society where only after persons have retired or died organizations seek to honour them and such must stop. The St. Kitts Teachers’ Union has recognized the importance of acknowledging and awarding teachers while they are alive and still within the teaching profession.” This initiative is the first of its kind and the SKTU” takes pride in being an organization which recognizes its own members. “No longer can people maintain the status quo, we must press for higher heights and strive for excellence within the teaching profession. He further explained that “the number of teachers awarded is just a very small fraction of a much larger number of teachers who are worthy of emulation. The awardees are teachers who have contributed significantly to the intellectual and social development of our federation and continue to labour auspiciously and selflessly for the development of our people and nation and it would have been remiss of the union and the federation at large not to give them their due recognition and accolades.”

This Excellence in Teaching Awards Service will be included in the union’s annual World celebration of teachers.