Ocho Rios, St Ann – Florence Morris-Barrett’s 45 years of service in the field of education was topped off with a ceremony in her honour when her family, friends, and peers gathered to tell her thanks for the years she dedicated to the profession.

For the last 12 of her 23 years at Ewarton High School, the retired educator filled the post of principal and throughout her tenure she earned the respect of many of those who turned out for the ceremony held in her honour at the Renaissance Jamaica Grande Resort in Ocho Rios on March 31.

“She is a person of passion, a good teacher, mentor to young and old teachers, she commands a high level of respect and love,” said Trevor Morgan, the regional officer in the education ministry. “She is a lady of style, an example for all to follow. The ministry of education says thank you and we appreciate the service you have rendered.”

He was not alone in his assessment and many similar comments were made during the evening’s proceedings, which were staged by the Ewarton High School’s board.

Pastor Howard Grant, the school’s chaplain and one of Morris-Barrett’s past students, described his former teacher as a person with a resilient personality, someone who was dutiful and motherly as well as an educator par excellence.

Jamaica Teachers’ Association general secretary, Dr Adolph Cameron who paid tribute on behalf of the JTA, was enrolled at the University of the West Indies’ faculty of education at the same time as Morris-Barrett. He remembered her, he said, as an outstanding student. The JTA official also spoke of Morris-Barrett’s later years, describing her as an extraordinary individual who moulded the lives of students and touched the lives of many teachers.

The Westmoreland-born educator spent 16 years at Frome Secondary (now Technical) where she rose to the position of vice-principal. She spent one month at Papine Secondary as vice-principal before moving to what was then Ewarton Junior Secondary. The school was later upgraded to secondary school status, then later became a high school under her tenure.

During the ceremony held in her honour, the words ‘Tonight we applaud you for 45 years of unselfish service to your fellowmen’ were read from a citation which Ewarton High School presented to Morris-Barrett. She also received a beautifully carved white grandfather clock decorated with gold-plated trimmings.

The beaming educator told the gathering that it was an honour and a privilege to be the recipient of the many sentiments that were so “eloquently and lovingly expressed”.

Her successful run as an educator, she said, could be attributed to her philosophy that every failure was a challenge. She had no regrets, she added.