Trevor Barrett - Elgin Taylor

Trevor Barrett, acting principal at Penwood High School in St Andrew, does not believe many now joining the teaching profession possess the necessary passion required for the job.

"They need to take teaching seriously. It is a noble profession and I do not believe that many of the new teachers have the necessary qualities. They need to be patient, to love children and have a love for the profession," he told The Star in an interview.

He said a lot of weight is often placed on the shoulders of senior teachers and administrators, as they have to mother and father new teachers. He stressed that, in this respect, he can vouch for the efficacy of mentorship.

Barrett has had a long careeer, spanning 36 years. He attended Mico Teacher Training College from 1972-1974 and spent his internship year as a social studies teacher at Glengoffe Secondary (now High) School in St Catherine, from September 1974 to August 1975. He served an extra year at Glengoffe High before joining the staff at Penwood in September 1976. He is also a 1989 graduate of the University of the West Indies, Mona campus, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in educational management.

achievements

In terms of Penwood's achievements, Barrett stated that in recent times students have graduated from the institution with seven and eight subjects in the Caribbean Secondary Certificate Examination. They have also been doing well in sports, especially netball and football. Among their graduates is footballer Ian 'Pepe' Goodison. In addition, the school has had outstanding achievements in arts and culture.

He also spoke to several vocational areas offered at the school. These include beauty culture, food and nutrition, clothing and textile, electrical technology, mechanical engineering, carpentry and joinery, and auto mechanics. He said these represent a balanced curriculum as not all students will gravitate to the academics.

Looking back at his career, he said that he has no regrets. He, however, pointed to an area he would like to see addressed.

"From my recollection, there are now 11 high schools on the CAP (Career Advancement Programme). It is sort of an alternative to the sixth-form programme. It assists students who may be a bit slow for the regular programme. I would like to see this extended to more high schools," the experienced educator stated.