The Church Teachers’ College in Manchester is repositioning itself to attain university status, as it has been maintaining very high academic standards.
According to Principal Dr Garth Anderson, its graduates have gone on to become not only teachers but school leaders, lawyers, politicians, media practitioners, religious leaders, financial and business experts, policymakers, researchers and change makers. Speaking at its 60th Anniversary & Gala Awards Ceremony held at The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, in New Kingston, its principal: “We are confident in who we are; our track record of excellence and providing thinkers and innovators for our nation is beyond question,” he said.
Held under the ‘Celebrating A Legacy of Excellence: Boldly Meeting the Demands of the 21st Century and Beyond’ theme, Principal Dr. Anderson (pic) underscored that the college’s past students have rebuilt themselves through the power of education - noting that the college was founded on values of discipline, hard work, service, faith and the relentless pursuit of excellence.
“These values have sustained us through economic shifts, policy changes and even [a] global pandemic,” he said. A recent partnership involving the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, with funding from the Digicel Foundation, has seen the college establish a smart laboratory - to be fitted with laptops, a smart board, and teacher-training software - with two years of free internet connection provided by Digicel.
Custos of St Andrew, Ian Forbes, said: “The college has been steadfastly creating a tradition of academic excellence, that stands as a beacon of hope and advancement.” Teachers who come out of the college have made a positive social impact over the past six decades.
“At every level of the Jamaican education system, there are men and women who have stood at the chalkboard, guided young minds, led institutions and shaped policies contributing to, in no small measure, national development,” Forbes said.
Highlighting that the institution has demonstrated an admirable capacity to adapt, integrate new technologies, embracing modern practices and prepare students for the dynamic education landscape of tomorrow, he added: “The college has remained anchored in the nation to quickly educate us, not only with knowledge and skill but with compassion, discipline and a sense of purpose.”
Chief Technical Director at the Education Ministry, Dr Nicola Ann Brown-Pinnock, said the college has achieved a milestone of more than six decades of commitment to teacher education and national development, saying: “The accomplishment is no easy feat, as it stands as a pillar of excellence, grounded in faith and service, and your contributions have had an impact that reaches far beyond the walls of your classrooms and lecture halls.
“The culture of the college resonates in the quality of the educators who continue to transform lives across Jamaica, the wider Caribbean and the wider world.”